Heaven and Hell
by Tsukiko AlienWitch
Summary: A heavenly and helly remix version of TMM. Ichigo and Kisshu are 'friends' and have been for a while. When two different lights change their lives can they over come the big changes. Ichigo looks for her comrades and Kisshu has to control himself or else.
1. Not the First Day I was Hoping

**A/D: Hi, fans! Here is a new story of TMM. This is very similar to our favorite story but I changed it a bit. I do NOT own TMM and I'm a heaven/hell and light/dark fan. This is inspired by a picture from the YouTube video on ****/watch?vtKMgEnL02Io**** . For the record, I was roaming and I was just watching this. I loved the pictures on it!**

**This is not for Masaya/Ichigo. This is completely a Kisshu/Ichigo story but it has some Ryou/Ichigo moments. Everyone at first is human, even the aliens but they will appear with ears soon enough.**

**I also do NOT own the songs I will use in this story. I am defiantly certain to use songs in this story. The songs are the most important for the story and I will ask of what kind of type of songs that would be good. Further questions will be asked about the subject later.**

**If this sounds like a story that you probably heard before, I probably haven't read it before. Enjoy!!**

**Heaven and Hell**

**A New Tokyo Mew Mew Story**

_'When something affects your life, how do you take it?'_

Ch. 1: Not the First Day I was Hoping

"Ichigo! Wake up! You're going to be late for school!"

The young fourteen year old red head girl just moaned on her bed, not getting up to her mother's calls. Her mom was starting to get a little irritated.

"Ichigo Momomiya! Get up this instant! I thought you had something to do before you go to school?" At the reminder of that, Ichigo looked up at the clock and it was 7:15. Time is a shocker.

"Ahhh!! I'm late!" Ichigo jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, leaving her mother in her room.

Ichigo Momomiya, a red head with dark red eyes and perfect skin. For a fourteen year old, she had a wonderful body. There was barely any fat on her tall skinny body. Ichigo lives in a three bed room house with her two parents. They have a third room in case of guests visiting.

In her rush to get ready, Ichigo thought, _'I can't believe I over slept and on my first day of school too! I'm supposed to do something before I even start the school year anyway!'_

After that thought, Ichigo quickly flossed, brushed her teeth, mouth wash, brushed her hair, put her short red hair into two side ponytails, and ran out of the bathroom to her room. Her mother wasn't there anymore, but Ichigo was in too much of a rush to think about it. She ran to the closet and grabbed her school uniform. It was a short grey puffy skirt with a short sleeve puff sleeves sailor shirt and a red bow on her upper chest. On the back of her skirt, there was a ribbon bow on the top of it. After she changed, she grabbed her school bag and rushed down to the kitchen. She grabbed a toast and put it in her mouth and ran to the door.

"I'm leaving!" she yelled, her voice muffled from the toast.

"But don't you want breakfast?" her mother asked from the kitchen. Ichigo put on her shoes and opened the door.

"I'm late, mom! Bye! Love you!"

"Love you too! Have a good first day!" Then Ichigo ran out of the house, closing the door behind her.

Today is Ichigo's first day at Sakura Middle School at the eighth grade. The reason why Ichigo is in such a rush on her first day is because she would like to start the day off with a boyfriend.

Ichigo was running towards the park as fast as her feet could carry her. She couldn't believe that it has come to this. When she finally arrived at the park, after passing confused or angry people, stores, and restaurants, she saw who she desperately wanted to see. A boy that looked just about her age that had dark blue glossy hair and his skin tone made him look very healthy; it is really dark. He was wearing her school uniform; black long pants and a white buttoned up short sleeve shirt.

"Masaya!" she called. He turned around and Ichigo could see his 'beautiful' brown eyes.

He answered, "Hi, Momomiya-san!"

Masaya Aoyama, one of the most popular boys in school who is in the 'nice, gentle, smart, and very athletic' group of popularity. To Ichigo, the best part is that he really cares for the environment, endangered animals, and he's the captain of the kendo team.

She ran up to him, a pleasant smile on her face and he smiled back at her. He asked her, "You needed to speak to me before school, Momomiya-san?"

She nodded her head but thought, _'After today, he won't call me that anymore.'_

"Listen, Masaya. There is a reason why I wanted to talk to you," she said. He gave her a questionable glance when she started turning red. She looked down, still smiling. Her hands were in front of her and her right foot was making a small hole under it. She was embarrassed but she confessed, "You see, I really liked you for a long time and… and…I…would…like it if….you would go out with me." She said the last part in a softer tone but he heard her.

"I'm sorry, Momomiya-san," he said. Her blush was gone and she relaxed. He calmly answered, "I'm actually seeing someone else so I'm afraid that I can't. I'm really sorry!" He bowed down to her and she let out a sigh.

"It's okay, Aoyama-kun. I understand."

He stood up and smiled. He asked her, "We can be friends though, right?"

She smiled back and answered, "Yep! Friends!"

"Thank you. Good bye!" After that, he ran right past her and she was left to be swallowed up by her depression. Oh really…

She looked up at the sky like she was bored and said out loud, "So much for that. Let's see, that was the fifth boy this year and I was so hoping that I could start the school year with a boyfriend. How disappointing."

"It's still not too late," a voice called out. Before Ichigo could react, two arms wrapped around her neck, gently. The owner of the voice had his mouth next to her ear and his warm breath breathed on her ear. "You can always go out with me. I'm still single." His lips soon moved to her cheek and he gave her a sweet kiss. She elbowed him away.

"Nice try, buddy!" she told him, pushing herself away from him. "I would drop dead before I go with you, Kisshu."

Kisshu Takokujin, a dark emerald hair, amber golden eyes, and pale skin boy. He's the same age as Ichigo and he's one of the bad boys type. He's known Ichigo for a while and he's been after her heart just as long. Apparently, he's still after her.

He was wearing the same uniform as Masaya except, he also had the coat on as well. Usually, students don't wear their long sleeve jackets, but Kisshu doesn't like being the same as others. His black jacket however had its sleeves pulled up half way up his arms. His shirt had its first two buttons unbuttoned and half of it wasn't even tucked in. On his left ear, he has about three piercings and on his right he has two. He had on black shoes, and his short hair was almost boy cut except for two areas; the hairs in front of his ears. They were at least an inch or two inches longer than his other hair length.

Kisshu smiled at Ichigo and said, "Come on, honey. You know you want too."

"I wouldn't date you, even if you became the only male on earth!" Ichigo yelled; he didn't look fazed by her words at all.

"Playing hard to get as always. That's what I love about you." Ichigo turned a slight red at that and glared at him. He only continued. "Besides, that tree hugger didn't deserve you. He was just making up that girlfriend story to stay away from you. I swear! The guy doesn't see a fabulous woman when he sees it." Ichigo realized something.

"Wait a minute! How did you know that I would be here?" she asked him.

He answered, like it was no problem, "I heard you giggling about meeting some boy at the park so I decided to meet you here. I had no idea that you were going to confess your likes to a loser like him."

She got embarrassed. "Stay away from my neighborhood, you lying stalker!"

"Lying? I never lie to you, love," he whined like a little angel.

She glared at him again and said, "You're lying again. You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Aoyama-kun rejecting me, did you?" She had her arms crossed and her left foot was tapping the ground. She was pissed off hard.

He didn't make it bother him. "I would not lie to you, love but do you want me too?"

"What's the lie?"

"Nope, I did not take any part in your rejections."

"Rejections?! You mean to tell me that you made every boy that I asked to go out with to reject me?"

"You want me to lie again?"

"What's the lie _this_ time?"

"No, I took no part in your rejections. I did not threaten each guy that you asked out to say no. I didn't tell them that I would stalk them and one day, kill them."

Now, Ichigo is beyond pissed off. "You did WHAT?!"

"You said that you wanted the lie." Kisshu was still as calm as ever.

"Kisshu, you asshole! I'll kill you!"

"That's no way to talk to the man of your fantasies."

"My only fantasies are me beating you to a bloody pulp!"

Ichigo raised a fist and she got ready to punch him, but he duck when she went in. She tried again, but he kept dodging. For the fifth time, Kisshu dodge by ducking lower and then went straight under Ichigo. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the back of her head when he got a hold of her.

"You smell just like your name, honey. You smell like strawberries and trust me. Blue underwear does not work for you," he told her. She only got redder at that comment.

She turned around and slapped him straight on the face. He faced the direction he was hit towards but he didn't let go of her. He did us one hand to touch that area where he got slapped at and he looked at her. He only smiled at her.

"You're so feisty. It just makes me want you more and more." He hugged her and her skin was crawling at his cold touch.

"Get off me!" she yelled, pushing him away. He didn't completely back away from her.

His let go of her but he had on hand grab hers and he raise it up. "There was a reason why I did that, Ichigo." That caught her attention for her to listen. He raised her hand up higher again and brought it to his mouth. He lightly kissed it. "It's because no one else can have you. You are mine and mine alone. I love you, Ichigo." She turned red again, but she pulled her hand away and turned around.

"Whatever! Just leave me alone, I don't have time to play with you." She started walking away, but Kisshu stayed right where he was at.

"That's okay, honey. We can play afterwards or when we're in the principal's office when he's not looking." That was confusing.

She stopped and asked him, "What do you mean?"

He looked down at his wrist to look at his watch as he said, "The reason why that tree hugger left is not because he has to see his 'girlfriend', but because we're late. It's about 7:50 and it's about a twenty minute walk from here to school."

"What!!" Ichigo freaked. Before there was another word being said, Ichigo ran towards the school and Kisshu fallowed behind her.

"Hey! Wait up!" he called, but she didn't listen. They are in so much trouble.

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"We are on a bad start on your first day, Ms. Momomiya and Mr. Takokujin," the principal told both Ichigo and Kisshu.

They both arrived at school late and to report to the principal's office for trying to sneak in class. Their teacher, however, caught them and told them to go to the principal's office since they already marked them tardy. The two chairs that are in front of the principal is where they sat for this, but only Ichigo was standing up straight nervous while Kisshu was leaning back, his left on top of his right knee.

"This is a very academic school that needs to have its students to be paying attention, work diligently, and to come on time! We are very serious about that and if you two can't fallow it, then I might have to expel you for about a week," the principal continued.

Both Ichigo and Kisshu thought, _'Talk about strict.'_

"Mr. Takaharu, I assure you that this will not happen again, I promise," Ichigo said in her sweet innocent voice.

Kisshu mumble from under his breath, "Not while I'm here."

"Kisshu!" Ichigo whispered/yelling. The principal raised a brow.

"Seeing that you two both know each other very well, I'll give you both a chore and an extra credit to repay for the missed class." Ichigo looked confused and Kisshu looked bored and annoyed. "After school tomorrow, you both will go to the back of the school and clean it up. I want every leaf picked up, new or old, I want the weeds picked, and I want the courts swept. There is also a dance show coming up in about two months as well."

"A dance show?" Ichigo questioned.

Kisshu sarcastically said, "Sounds like fun." Ichigo elbowed him again.

Then Mr. Takaharu blurted out, "You two will both participate in it for extra credit and the only dance open is the tango." Both of them got tensed at that. Seconds later, they exploded.

"I don't dance!" Kisshu yelled.

Ichigo yelled, "And I can't dance! When I did the maraca, I sent five people to the emergency room! Besides, I can't dance with him!"

Kisshu thought, _'Well I wouldn't mind dancing with her and the tango is one of the most passionate dances, but still!'_

Mr. Takaharu simply ignored their whines and said, "Classes start next week after school in the studio on the third floor. You will learn the dance from three to five. You both may return back to class now." Since it doesn't seem to work with just complaining to him, both Ichigo and Kisshu picked up their bags and left the room.

When they got back to their classroom, their teacher gave them each two buckets and told them to fill those up with water. They ended up filling them up and standing outside of class while holding both of the buckets. Ichigo's arms are ready to fall off after just ten minutes but Kisshu looked completely fine. They didn't talk at all since they weren't supposed too, but someone decided to bend the rules.

Kisshu bend over to Ichigo's ear and whispered, "Looks like we're going to be seeing each other for a while, huh?"

Ichigo growled at him to back off and he did. She glared at him and said, rather loud, "I already have to see you no matter what. You live about two blocks away from me and we've been going to the same school at the same classes for the past five years!"

"Momomiya-san! Be quiet out there!" the teacher yelled.

Ichigo yelped and yelled back, "Sorry!"

"Another ten minutes!" Ichigo's shoulders bend over in depression and Kisshu smiled in pleasure.

"Maybe you should whisper instead of talk. I'm not the one who's making us stay out here longer," he whispered in her ear. She glared at him again.

After another ten minutes, they were allowed back in and it was hard for Ichigo to write. Her arms were too tired and Kisshu was barely paying attention. First day of school went on as it does like every other school day: listen to the teacher, write down notes when needed, answer questions that you are asked, and listen. Ichigo was dreading it all completely. She did not want to start the new school year like this.

"Leave me alone, Kisshu! I don't want to deal with you, forever!" Ichigo yelled behind her. Kisshu was walking right behind her.

"I know you don't mean that, honey and besides, I have to go through this way to get home," he reminded.

"Well find another way!"

School was finally over, for Ichigo's relief but she wasn't freed from her problems yet. She still had an annoying pest fallowing her around. It's about three in the afternoon and both of them are inside the park, taking the usual path down to their road.

"Also!" Ichigo stopped and turned towards him. He stopped right before he could bump into her. She continued, "I thought you don't go home! Don't you have some gang meeting with your brothers?!" Ichigo asked, pointing the finger at him.

He grabbed her hand with both of his hands and asked, "Is that what you think of me, honey?" He was staring at her with soft, yearning eyes and Ichigo was turning red from just looking at them.

Unlike Ichigo, Kisshu has siblings. He has two siblings; a younger one and an older one. His older brother is about seventeen and his younger brother is about eleven. Kisshu is three years younger than his older brother and he's three years older than his younger brother.

Ichigo pulled her hand away and yelled, "Don't you try that trick with me!" She turned around and clarified, "They don't work on me-EEEEEEE!" Ichigo tripped and she started falling to the ground.

"Ichigo!"

She closed her eyes, ready for the impact of the hard ground, but it didn't come. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and she was staring straight at Kisshu's face. He was holding her bridal style.

He asked, "You okay?" She was really heating up. She nodded and he smiled. "That's good. You scared me there, honey." She got mad at that name.

"Don't call me 'honey'!" She pushed him away and she got off of him. The moment she stepped with her right leg, she yelped and winced.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked her again.

She answered, without meaning too, "I think I twisted my ankle." She was lifted up again by Kisshu and she asked, getting embarrassed, "K-Kisshu? W-What-?"

He didn't answer her or let her continue the question. He laid her down on the soft grass hill and he took a look at her ankle. He took off her shoe and he started pushing at a few spots at the foot. Ichigo couldn't control the blush that is forming on her cheeks.

Not looking up at her, he told her, "Just because I get into fights doesn't mean that I don't know how to take care of injuries." It was if he was reading her mind. Ichigo was just about to ask him of how he knows how to see if an ankle is twisted or not. When he pressed her ankle, she winced. "Yep, it's twisted." He put her shoe back on and he stood up. "You stay here, okay?" he asked her. She looked up and he said, "I'm going to go get some cold water for your ankle. You need something cold for it. I'll be right back." She nodded and he was off in search of a vending machine.

Ichigo's heart was still pounding and she was still red. She placed a hand over her heart and she wondered, _'Why is my heart pounding so much? There's no way I like him. I've known him since third grade but he's never more than an annoying pest? Is that really what he is?'_

_Rumble_

_Rumble_

_Rumble_

"Uh?" Ichigo wondered as the ground started shaking beneath her.

Not far from her, Kisshu just paid for about two bottles of waters and he felt the rumble under him as well. He nearly tripped but he kept his balance.

"An earth quake?" he questioned. Remembering Ichigo, he gasped and looked towards her direction. "Ichigo!"

He started running towards her but something stopped him. A small black ring dropped and landed on the ground in front of him. It looked like the ring was made of pure Satin and in the middle of it is a green jewel that sparkled like a diamond.

"A ring?" he questioned.

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Ichigo was holding her head between her hands and her legs curled up close to her body. She was starting to get scared as the earth quake continued.

'_What's happening?'_ she wondered. In fear, she called out, "Kisshu! Kisshu! Where are you?!"

Next thing she knew, she saw a black light shine not far from where she saw Kisshu head towards. After the light, she heard his cries.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"Kisshu!!"

After she called for him, a bright white light shined from under her this time. She looked down in confusion and suddenly felt this warm feeling. She closed her eyes to relax in its warmth and she let a few moans of pleasure escape her lips.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a bright, white light. It felt so warm and in the air, she could hear a faint sound of music.

'_What the? Where am I? Did I die?'_ she wondered, looking around. All she could still see is white light. _'Wait! If I died, then that means Kisshu…'_ She didn't try to think about the worst. Getting to that thought alone was causing her whole body to shake in fear.

"Kisshu! Kisshu! Where are you?" she called, but there was no answer. The only sound was still that soft, soothing music. "Where is that music coming from?"

_Meow_

_Meow_

Ichigo turned around and she looked down. About a few feet away from her is a little black cat with white angel wings. But there is something different about the cat. It didn't look like a regular house cat that you usually see. The cat had light grey legs and from its thighs to its back, the cur got darker into a dark grey. On its back and face, it has black spots on it. It's tail is also about half way shorter than regular cats. Ichigo seen a cat like this before.

"Are you an Iriomote wildcat?" she asked. As if the cat understood her, it looked like smiled and meowed. Ichigo, feeling much more calm, smiled at it and bent over. "Come here." The cat approached her and Ichigo picked it up. "You're so pretty, kitty. Are you an angel?" the cat meowed again and Ichigo smiled.

Then the amazing happened. The cat jumped from Ichigo's arms and it went inside of her. Ichigo looked confused at the bright pink light that is now shining from her chest. "That cat went inside of me." The pink light only got bigger and bigger, engulfing Ichigo in it. She closed her eyes and she was starting to feel the most wonderful feeling. The light was making her body feel this warm, nostalgic feeling. It felt so nice. So….heavenly.

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"Ichigo? Ichigo! Wake up! Ichigo!"

'_That voice? It's so familiar but who is it?'_

"Ichigo!"

After that call, Ichigo tried to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry, at first, but slowly images started to clear out and she could see the shapes and the colors of it all. The first she could see when she opened her eyes was a pair of golden eyes staring right at her. She knew those eyes all too well.

"Kis…shu?"

She saw him softly smile and he breathed out, "Thank goodness you're awake. You got me worried there, honey. Don't scare me like that." After the name, she huffed and sat up.

"I feel just fine, Kisshu! Thank you for caring," she told him. She looked away and she started to remember what happened. Even his screaming came back into mind. She turned towards him with a worried glance and asked, "Are you alright? I heard you screaming when the earth quake started!"

Kisshu looked confused by that fact, "I'm fine. What earthquake? I didn't feel anything. I actually don't remember what happened. I was getting some water for your ankle and the rest is all fuzzy."

Ichigo raised a brow. _'Well that's weird. I was sure that there was an earthquake and there were lights too. Was I having a dream?'_

"But when I did remember what's going on, I came back and you were lying on the ground, unconscious," he told her, getting her out of her thoughts. Then he grabbed her and pulled her into a soft hug. "You scared the life out of me, Ichigo. Don't do that."

She started turning red from his closure and his warmth from his hold. She gained back her composure and pushed him away. "Thanks for your concern, again. But I'm completely 

fine." When she pushed him away, she noticed something. There was a ring on his ring finger on his left hand. "Hey! What's this? You married or something?"

He looked at his hand and stared at the ring. "I don't remember this and if I was married, I would be married to you, of course."

"Kisshu! This is no time for love commitment jokes!" she reminded him.

He smiled at her and apologized, "Sorry. I couldn't resist." He looked back at his hand and pulled the ring off. "Well whatever it is, it's not mine. So good riddance!" He tossed the ring behind him and it rolled all the way down to the cement sidewalk.

"Kisshu!" Ichigo scolded as she got up. She started hoping down towards the sidewalk, towards the ring.

"What?" Kisshu questioned. "It's not mine so might as well get rid of it! What if some sicko put that on me?"

He followed her down and Ichigo was bent over towards the ground. She got ready to pick it up but the moment she touched it, she got a terrible pain ring through her body like lightening. She stood up and yelped, "Ouch!" She held her hand that touched the ring and started rubbing it.

'_What was that?'_

"Ichigo? Are you okay, honey?" she heard. She didn't look behind since she knew who it is. She felt Kisshu's hand grabbed the one she was rubbing and he was analyzing it. He asked, "How did you get this burn?" She looked at her hand and there was a small burn on all three of her fingers that she used to pick up the ring.

She answered, "I don't know. The ring, maybe."

"The ring?"

"I think so. I just touched it and I felt this pain."

Kisshu looked back at the ring and bent down to pick it up. He started at it and he was waiting for the same pain that Ichigo got, but he didn't. He waited long enough and threw it into the bushes and trees. It went as far as thirty meters or more.

He huffed and dusted his hands together. "Well I am defiantly not keeping that thing! If it hurts my Ichigo then I don't want anything to do with what could hurt her," he said, determined. Ichigo turned red from that determination, but pushed it aside.

"Who said I was ever yours?" she asked him, hopping away to the top of the grassy hill.

He fallowed, answering, "Well no one else will take you, so might as well have you for myself!"

Ichigo picked up her bag and yelled, "The only reason that is, is because you keep threatening all of the boys to reject me! Now if you don't mind, I want to go home!" She hopped her way down and Kisshu fallowed again.

"I'll walk you home," he offered.

"No! I can go home by myself." She started hopping again and her leg got too weak. She was ready to fall head first into the ground. Then two strong, supporting arms wrapped around her waist and caught her.

"Yeah, right," Kisshu said. Ichigo looked up and he was really close to her face. The heat rise up to her cheeks again and her heart was pounding. He helped her stable herself and then he kneeled down. "Get on!"

"I-I can walk," she shuttered. He looked up at her and stared. Giving her the 'Shut up and get on. Ichigo let out a sigh and hopped to his back. She got on and he picked her up like that. He got both of their bags and started walking towards their street.

Ichigo turned red from this and she asked, "Am I…too heavy?"

He answered, "Not at all. You're as light as an angel with wings." She really got red at that comment. She always thought she was too heavy or she that she was getting fat but hearing that from him made her heart pound another mile faster.

Then Kisshu said something to ruin the moment. "Now I know that I don't have to worry about carrying you on our wedding day." She got red out of anger.

"Who said we're getting married?!"

"I did and you did just now."

"We are NOT getting married!"

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High up in the sky and deep below the earth's mantle, there are two places that are watching both Kisshu and Ichigo bicker.

The one above in the sky was watching over Ichigo from a white hand mirror from his desk in the clouds. His bright, boy cut, blond hair could be mistake for the sun's rays, his blue eyes looked like the depths of the ocean, and his dark tan skin looked so smooth and it gave off a healthy glow. He's wearing a very white outfit. He had on a long sleeve mid evil shirt and long white pants along with a white cape made out of the purest of all the cotton a cloud has to offer.

The boy had on a small smile from the picture of a red hair girl. He even let out a small chuckle in delight.

"Please, Prince Ryou?" a voice asked.

The boy, Ryou who could be no older than about sixteen, reverted his eyes from the mirror in his hand and he looked up at the one who called him.

The one who called him looked no older than twenty. He has long dark brown hair that's up in a low pony tail. He has kind, gentle brown eyes and his skin was a normal tone; not too dark and not too pale. His outfit is just as white as Ryou's. He had on long white pants but his top made his outfit look like it's Indian wear (and I mean India, not native American Indians). The guy came holding a tray of a tea pot, two tea cups, and a small basket of cookies.

"Keiichiro, did the infusion go smoothly?" Ryou asked his smile turned into a serious look.

Keiichiro answered, "As you can see, Prince Ryou, the infusion became a success." He put the tray on Ryou's desk and he got himself a chair to sit.

Ryou picked up his tea cup and asked, "Did _he_ create a transfusion as well?"

Keiichiro lost his pleasant smile and his looks hardened. "Yes, but instead of five girls. He infused three boys. We haven't found who his victims are yet. He must have put up a protective barrier around them to hid them from us."

Ryou nodded. "I see." He took a small sip of his tea and put the cup on the small plate. "This is one of the girls that have been infused." Ryou gave Keiichiro the mirror and Keiichiro accepted it. He observed Ichigo as she was still yelling at Kisshu and he was just calmly talking to her.

Keiichiro's smile came back and he said, "She's a beautiful girl. What's her name?"

"Ichigo," Ryou answered. "At least that's what that human calls her."

"Have you found the others?"

"No. That's her job now."

"Does she know?"

"No yet. We'll see her tomorrow and then tell her."

"But if he finds out who she really is, then there's no doubt that he'll try to destroy her," Keiichiro warned.

Ryou took back his mirror and reminded, "I know, but we have no choice. We can't leave this kingdom now. It takes us about twenty-four hours before we arrive on earth as humans. Hopefully, he hasn't found out about her and decides to pay an early visit."

"You should review your studies again, Prince Ryou. Have you forgotten that he can't leave his realm, no matter how hard he tries?" Keiichiro asked.

Ryou smiled and told him, "I was joking. He hasn't left his realm for thousand of years."

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But he did find out.

The one below the earth's mantle, deep in the grounds was watching Kisshu from his blood red throne. His long hair is pure black and could be mistake for the shadows you see behind you, his light blue eyes are by far the only thing that could stand out, and his pale skin is as white as bone. He's wearing a blue outfit. His outfit could be a dress but it isn't. It has long sleeves and the collar resembled that of a turtle neck. There was something very interesting about him. He had big elf like ears that could be about five inches long.

He had on a wide smirk on his face as he continued to watch the scene through a crystal ball, flouting before him. He just kept smirking at Kisshu and apparently his feelings towards Ichigo.

"That girl is special to him, uh? She could easily accept him and declare her love to him. But what if we change that a little? After all, it's always fun to torture an angel."

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After Kisshu walked Ichigo home, he nearly got killed by her father because, well let's just say that he's very over protective when it comes to his daughter seeing boys or even being nice to boys. Not to forget to mention that he know Kisshu well and now that he's probably a bad influence and should be someone who you don't really want to hang with. Ichigo yell her father a few times about both of them not dating and that he was only helping her get home. Kisshu left after saying good bye to Ichigo and kissing her cheek. Her father did not like that at all. He actually chased him about a block before coming home, tired.

Ichigo's mom help with Ichigo's twisted ankle and they did the regular normal routine; eat dinner, clean up, watch a little TV, and then go to bed. Kisshu's house was similar to that; eat, get cleaned up, and then go to bed. But there was something different about how both of them were sleeping through the night.

The night turned into a storm and there was thunder and lightning was dancing outside. Ichigo didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she looked like she's in a deeper sleep from the rain outside. She was curled up into a ball on her bed and she had her hands folded like a cat. She had on a comforted smile and she looked like she was enjoying a very pleasant dream. Then as a laugh, one sound came out of her mouth. "Nya!!"

Kisshu however was having a hard sleep.

He was tossing and turning all over the bed. Sweat was pouring down his face and he was awake. His eyes showed that he's in pain and he tried to hold it in. His hands gripped over his chest and he was moaning in pain. He was curled up into a ball too, but he was trashing his bed with his feet. Something hot is in his chest and it was burning. It was hurting him at every blood cell in his body and it spread as the blood flowed through his body. It was hurting and it was hurting him at every limp of his body.

In his pain, he kept hearing a voice calling for him.

**'_Kisshu……Kisshu…Kisshu…It's time.'_**

'_Time for what?'_ Kisshu asked in his thoughts, but the pain only continued. There's a battle going on in his body and he was losing to the pain. It was way too much for him to handle. His whole body felt hot but he was shaking like he's freezing cold.

"Ichi…go!" he softly called. But that one name that escaped his lips made the pain give out an explosion in his body.

He stopped trashing and he stopped shaking. In fact, he stopped moving. Seconds later, he moved. He went to the side of the bed and sat up. He stood up and headed for the door. He walked out of his room and out of his house. He still walked even when he was in the middle of the city.

"No, stop!" a young woman cried.

Two guys were on her and they were pushing her against the wall. They reeked of alcohol and they were laughing in delight from her screams.

"What's wrong, girlie?" one of them asked.

She looked terrified and that only fueled them up. The second one said, "Don't worry, sweetie. We'll take good care of you. We promise."

"No!! Let go of me!" she cried, but it was useless. They were too strong and she had no strength at all. But maybe, it's not her that will take care of them.

"Hey, look!" the second thug told the first one.

Both the woman and the first thug looked up in the dark alley and walking towards them is Kisshu. The lightning revealed his features to them. His hair looked messed up and wet as his bangs were shadowing his eyes. His face had no expressions at all. All he was doing was walking, ignoring the scene that was happening in front of him.

"Hey, kid! You better get out of here or you'll get hurt!" the first thug threatened. Like he just noticed them, Kisshu's faced rise up a bit like he was looking at them.

"No! Please don't hurt him! He's just a kid," the woman pleaded. The second thug pulled her hair and she winced in pain.

"Shut up!" he told her. She yelped and stayed quiet until she looked up at him again.

"Please, get away! Run!"

Kisshu just stood there.

"You should have listened to her, kid!" the first thug said. Then he charged Kisshu with a fist ready to cream him. Kisshu still didn't move.

The thug punched him and the woman got nervous for the boy's safety. Kisshu was still standing but he bent over to the left from the hit. He didn't let out a cry or anything. He just stood there and all three of them got confused.

**'_He's a human. He's below you and yet, he hit you.'_**

"You …hit me," Kisshu mumbled, standing up straight.

The first thug looked confused. He said, "Yeah, I did. Didn't that hurt?"

**'_You hate him, don't you? Of course you do. No one treats you like that.'_**

"No one treats me like that."

"Uh?"

**'_It's okay to hate. This world is full of it anyway. Look at these humans. They're full of hate towards one another and towards you. Hate is all you need to feel.'_**

"I hate you," Kisshu mumbled. The hug looked even more confused, then terrified.

Kisshu's whole body started to give off a red aura and his hair was starting to rise up in the aura. The other thug and the woman saw his aura and they started getting scared of that too.

"You humans are pathetic. You're all full of hatred. Hatred towards each other, hatred towards the world, and hatred towards yourself. Hatred…Hatred is the only feeling we ever feel. Hatred is the only thing left if the world is destroyed."

When Kisshu looked up, the thug saw his eyes. They were his usual color but they looked almost cat like and they looked sharper. Then he saw something else about his eyes. Kisshu closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were blood red. He opened his mouth and they revealed two sharp, long canine fangs. He jumped up and landed on the thug. The thug was taken off guard so when he fell down and Kisshu had his hands on his head, Kisshu took that chance to twist his neck with tremendous strength. The first thug's neck broke and he died right there. The other thug and the woman stared at the scene in fear.

"I take that back. Once the world is destroyed, hatred will be the only feeling we ever feel and that will last on forever!" Kisshu corrected, still having his longs fangs and his blood red eyes.

His eyes sharply looked up at the other thug and the woman and his claws grew long and sharp. The thug freaked out and threw the woman to the ground. He tried to run for it and Kisshu noticed. At incredible speed, he appeared in front of him and he stabbed his hand right through the second thug's chest. The woman let out a terrifying scream as Kisshu threw the body to the ground. He stared at her and her body started shaking. She got up and she tried to run for it too, but she wouldn't get up. There was something wrong with her ankle and he noticed that.

The woman put her hand on her ankle and she started crying. "Please…….don't kill me….Please! I-I don't want to……die," she pleaded. She's terrified but that wasn't the reason why Kisshu's eyes are wide. Her ankle is twisted, that was why his eyes widen.

'_I…I can't kill her. I should…let her go.'_

**"_If you let her go, then she'll call the police and tell everyone what you did. She hates you because she's terrified about what you can do. So in return hate her. You don't have to kill her, but you can do something. Free her from her hate filled life.'_**

Kisshu's eyes' size return back to normal and she approached the woman. Her eyes widen in fear and her body shakes with fear. She even reeked of fear. Kisshu offered his hand to her and she looked confused. When she looked up at him, he had on a small smile that is not complimented by his eyes.

"Don't worry. I promise you that you will be free," he assured her. Her feared expressions relaxed a bit and she accepted his hand. There was something about him that allowed her to trust him a bit. He helped her up and he leaned in closer towards her neck. Hs left hand rubbed against her right arm and he said, "This…won't…hurt…a bit." She closed her eyes and relaxed. He opened his mouth and his fangs pierced her neck.


	2. From Normal to Heavenly or Hellish

**A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews that you have sent to this story. I have good news and bad news. Good news is that I have tons of ideas for this story that is going to raise the roof, or so they say. The bad news is that Kuro is completely off of this story. She didn't even want to go near it anyway. That maybe bad news to you but to me, it's happy news! I don't have anyone to criticize me!**

**Inuyasha: You have me though.**

**Tsukiko: And I'm happy for that! I have a dog to cheer me up! Do you want to do the presentation thing?**

**Inuyasha: Isn't that why I'm here? Tsukiko does not own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. She will put up labels of the song she uses so that in case her fans want to know what the beat sounds like, you can look it up. Thank you for the reviews and enjoy!**

**Tsukiko: Enjoy!!**

_'When someone you care about is in trouble, what do you do?'_

Ch. 2: From Normal to Heavenly or Hellish

"What happened to you?" Ichigo asked. Her voice sounded tired. She was lying on her desk and when she noticed that Kisshu came in, she sat up and stared. He didn't look as lively as he usually does.

Kisshu dropped his stuff on the floor next to his desk and collapsed on the desk. "I'm…T-I-R-E-D!!" he whined, his voice muffled from the desk.

"Don't be such a whiner!" Ichigo told him. She yawned before she finished, "It's only the second day of school and you're already whining? You usually whine on the third day."

Kisshu looked up and stared at her face for a bit. "Well what about you? You look like you haven't slept in months."

"It's the damn rain that's why! I was so deep asleep that my mom woke me up with a horn. She cooked fish and I instantly got up to eat it. Now I'm here, still tired!" she whined. Apparently it's still raining outside but it was barely a shower. If she talked to people who weren't tired, they would have thought that she was weird.

After a few moments of silence, Ichigo collapsed on the desk again and Kisshu faced the desk again.

Kisshu muffled, "I hate day!"

Ichigo muffled, "I hate rain!"

While they were complaining, there were conversations going around all over the school. The closest one to both Kisshu and Ichigo was the bunch of girls in the classroom. What is interesting about the conversation is that it wasn't about the dance that was coming up on Saturday night. It was what happened last night.

"Hey! Did you hear?"

"What?"

"There was a terrible murder last night!"

"Seriously?"

"Scary!"

"Uh-huh! They found three bodies last night. Two of them were males and the other was a female. The two males were killed naturally; one of them had a broken neck and the other had a hole in his chest."

"How can you call that natural?"

"Because compared the woman's, they looked like they were killed by humans."

"What do you mean?"

"Here's the strange part! The woman that was with them looked like she got the blood sucked out of her and she had no defensive wounds to tell the police who the killer is!"

"Come on! Are you telling us that a vampire killed them?"

"It must be! What else would leave two bite marks on the neck, and then leaves them dry?!"

"Is this for real?"

"Yep! The police think that it must be some kind of trick, but everyone is talking about it! Everyone saw the bite marks on her from both the TV and the newspaper. And!! The ones closer to the scene of the crime that night heard her scream around the time she died."

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'_So tired! Why am I so tired all the time, now? I slept during the whole two periods!'_ Ichigo whined in her head as she was walking in the hallway. It's break time and she still had the rest of the day to go. She was lucky that she didn't get into trouble when she was asleep. For some reason, she's still tired and it's still raining outside. Ichigo stopped to think and remembered, _'If I remembered correctly, Kisshu was sleeping before me. I wondered what tired him out. He must have ran off to some gang fight late at night after he ran from my father. That idiot!'_

"Hey, Aoyama! I heard that you dumped a girl, yesterday! Is it true?"

Uh?

Ichigo looked up in front of her and at a cross way, she saw a group of three boys talking among themselves. One of them was Masaya.

'_Aoyama-kun?!'_

Being as curious as she is, Ichigo went up closer to the turn and hid behind the wall where they couldn't see her. She listened to every word that they said.

"Yeah, I did. I was glad I did."

"Why? Do you have a girl?"

"No. I like my freedom. Besides, who would want a girl who would make you wait forty minutes for? A girl that unserious is not even worth seeing. Besides, I knew that she was going to tell me that anyway. I just gave her the quick dump and be gone!"

_Ba-dum, ba-dum_

_Ba-dum, ba-dum_

_Ba-dum, ba-dum_

Ichigo heard every word that Masaya uttered and she could feel her heart pounding at the speed of light and… it was breaking.

"I heard that she asked almost every cute guy in the grade. She was probably one of those who would date someone for a day and then dump them soon after she get what she wanted!"

Masaya agreed to that. "You're probably right! Good thing I dumped her otherwise I would have ended up dating some kind of selfish, whiny, stupid wench." That insult made all of them laughs but Ichigo started crying uncontrollable tears. They were only words, but they hurt. They hurt more than anything she ever felt.

"What the?"

_BAM_

In surprise by that, Ichigo peeked out towards the scene and she gasped at what she saw. Two of Masaya's friends scattered as Masaya was being pushed towards the wall and he was being lifted up by a very, very pissed of Kisshu.

"Hey! Let me go!" Masaya yelled. Both of his friends were too freaked to mess with Kisshu. They knew his history and it is not pretty.

Kisshu held Masaya up by his collar and you could see how angry he is at him. "What did you call Ichigo?" Masaya looked at Kisshu confused and Ichigo was just surprised.

"What?"

Kisshu yelled, "You heard me, you fuckin asshole!" He pushed Masaya harder towards the wall and said, "I heard you call Ichigo a wench. Let me give you a small warning for you." Kisshu dropped Masaya and Masaya stared at Kisshu as he straightened his collar. In a split second, Kisshu punched him to about six feet away from where he stood. "If you ever trash mouth Ichigo like that again, I won't let you go with a simple punch! I'll send you personally to the emergency room and you won't be able to come out for about ten years! Don't think that I'll chicken out on that threat because I'm not afraid to be expelled like you!"

Ichigo only stared in surprise as Masaya's friends ran towards Masaya to help him up. Kisshu spit towards Masaya's direction and he walked the other way, still pissed off. Ichigo started panicking since he was coming her way. She didn't know what to do until she saw the opened, empty locker. Automatically, she went inside the locker and closed it. She looked through the line hole and she saw Kisshu's feet pass her.

'_Thank goodness!'_ she sighed in relief. She pushed the door open but it wouldn't open. She pushed it harder, still won't open. She banged it, still won't open.

"Someone get me out of here!!"

Kisshu heard her.

"Ichigo?" he called. He rushed to the end of the lockers and opened the door. Ichigo fell right out, but Kisshu caught her. "Hey, are you okay? You could have suffocated in there!" She didn't answer any of his questions. She was too busy clinging to his jacket and he could feel something wet going through his clothes. "Are you-?" He couldn't finish because he saw it. He saw Ichigo letting out freshly made tears. To comfort her, he wrapped his arms around her and brought her close. "It's okay, honey. I took care of those jerks for you. Don't cry. I'm right here. I promise I'll smack every jerk that calls you something bad, okay?" His voice sounded so gentle as he rubbed her back in comfort. He felt her nod in his chest and he only smiled at her.

_Rrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngggggggggggg_

More than anything, Kisshu wanted to break the bell. He actually got Ichigo to cling to him and the bell made the time go short. He was irritated at the bell now.

Ichigo backed away from him and wiped away the extra tears that were left on her face. "I guess we better get back to class, uh?" she asked.

Still irritated, he answered, "Yeah."

Ichigo noticed at how annoyed he looked so she went to his ear and whispered, "You can walk me home and I won't complain one bit." He perked up at that and smiled.

"Deal!" They both stood up and he added, "Do I get a kiss included?"

"No way! I'm not letting you go that far!"

"Awww! Come on, honey. You know you want a kiss!"

"Not from you!"

Kisshu didn't look offended from that. He just kept on smiling as it was Ichigo's time to fume.

After more classes, most of them almost missed from sleeping, school was over and both Kisshu and Ichigo still had garden duty to do. They went to the principal's office and he automatically, kicked them out with some brooms and some big black garbage bags. They were also in their P.E. uniforms for the occasion. The boys' school uniform is a white t-shirt and long dark blue pants. The girls' uniform is a white T shirt as well but her bottoms could be mistaken for a bathing suit bottom. Both of them were, of course, wearing white tennis shoes for their feet.

When they saw it, they couldn't believe it. The court was a mess. There were fallen leaves everywhere. The leaves turned themselves into blankets on top of the court; about five layers of blankets. Both of them bet that under those leaves, there was a court that really needed to be swept. To make it worst, there was a whole field of weeds outside. What exactly have the gardeners been doing the summer? Gone on vacation?

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!" Ichigo screamed. In her fear and speed, she unexpectedly hugged Kisshu. He turned towards her and fallowed her gaze and her finger. "T-T-T-T-There's a-a-a-a-a-a w-w-worm!!"

Kisshu looked towards where she was pointing at and there was a worm wiggling out of a pile of leaves that she apparently piled up to throw away. Kisshu gave her the eye before he walked towards the worm and picked it up.

He asked, "Are you afraid of this little worm?" He pulled it up higher and towards her to see and she freaked again.

"Get it away from me!! I hate things that crawl!" she shrieked.

He had on a half smile and kneeled down on the ground. He opened his hand and let the worm go on the grass. "Don't listen to her. She just doesn't understand how special you are."

"And I'm under the impression that you do?" Ichigo sarcastically asked.

He answered, "Yep and from what I know, it feels weird. This ground looks like the rain never hit it."

"What do you mean?"

"Earthworms are usually seen on the surface after large rain storms flood the soil because they could drown even though they need the water, but not too much. To survive, they go to the surface but if the ground is un-naturally hard, they may become stranded and die from exposure. This is why they are seen in places like driveways after a storm. But the theory is not exactly right since certain earthworm species can survive immersion for several days in oxygenated water."

Ichigo was surprised. "Have you been paying attention in Environmental Science?" she asked.

He stood up and went towards her ear. Her heart started pounding from his closure. "I heard you like smart guys so I've been in the books lately." She turned red and pushed him back.

"Nice try, but I'm not easy bought like that!" she told him, red. She turned away and walked to her rack and started piling up the leaves again.

He smirked and told her, "Always playing hard to get. It's one of the things that I love about you." He went back to work as she stopped working. His back was towards her but she continued to look at him.

_If you ever trash mouth Ichigo like that again, I won't let you go with a simple punch! I'll send you personally to the emergency room and you won't be able to come out for about ten years!_ _Don't think that I'll chicken out on that threat because I'm not afraid to be expelled like you!_

'_People don't say that for no good reason, but he's been teasing me for five years. So why does he…'_ she wondered.

"Kisshu!" she called. He stopped and looked at her with a questionable look. She started getting embarrassed. "W-Well, Why do you…what I'm trying to ask is… W-Why do you like me so much?"

He was confused by her question. "Why… do I like you?" His golden eyes pierced at hers and she ran for it.

"Bathroom!!" she yelled.

He called after her, "Ichigo!" She was long gone and Kisshu just stood there, dumbstruck by what she asked.

'_W-Why do you like me so much?'_

His eyes narrow and he answered out loud, "Because you're my perfect little angel and you promised me something." He gritted his teeth a bit in frustration and went back to picking weeds. "Damn this whole thing to hell!" he cursed.

_Snap_

"Uh? Ichigo?" he asked, but no one answered. He stood up and looked all around. Nothing was there besides the many trash bags of leaves and weeds, but Kisshu had a feeling that someone is here. "Who's there?!"

_Snap_

He heard it again but this time, in front of him. He turned and he asked, "What the hell?!"

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"What the hell was I thinking?!" Ichigo asked herself at the window. School is closed so she couldn't get in. She ran in front of a window instead to look at her reflection. She was yelling at the window, but she was mostly yelling at herself. "That was a stupid question to ask him! Why did I even ask him that? Great! Now he thinks I'm some kind of desperate girl! What the hell is wrong with me?"

She leaned her back towards the window and let out a tired sigh. "Why is it so hot out here? It was raining not too long ago," she reminded as she was fanning herself.

She looked up at the sky and it confused her. The sun was barely behind a cloud but it needs to be out to be able to make it really hot. She looked up to the left and there was a tunnel of smoke rising. The problem was that it was really, really close and it was huge. After noticing the smoke, a suffocating smell hit her nose; smoke and ash.

"_Cough, cough, cough._ What is this? Where did the fire come from?" she asked out loud coughing.

"It's a demon that causing this."

Surprised to hear him, Ichigo turned around to see one of the most beautiful boys she ever seen in her life. His tan skin told Ichigo that he must go outside a lot, he looked really well toned, his golden locks glisten in the barely visible sun, and his eyes were that of the deep dark sea. This beautiful boy that's in front of her now, that could be around sixteen, made Ichigo blushed.

"Who are you?"

Ryou answered, "That's not important right now. You should go to that smoke or your boyfriend will become demon chow."

'_Boyfriend?'_ she wondered. She gasps and started running back towards the court. "Kisshu!" She ran all the way to the court only to meet the raging flames and the scorching heat. She had to cover her face with her arms to try and block the heat.

"Kisshu! Kisshu! Where are you?! Kisshu!" she called, but he didn't answer. She opened her arms a little to look for him and she did; about the other side of the court, surrounded by flames, and unconscious. "Kisshu!"

In the flames, she heard a roar. She looked into them and in the flames, she saw what looks like a giant woman with the bottom body of a serpent. Her tail was that of a rattle snake, her skin was brown with red spots, her upper skin was red too, and her long hair was yellow. She had really bright yellow eyes and fangs. On top of her head is a small horn.

When Ichigo saw her, she was quivering with fear. The monster noticed her and wacked her tail at Ichigo. Ichigo braced herself for the hit, but it didn't come. Instead she felt herself being lifted up by something, or someone. She opened her eyes and it was that guy from before. His hands were around her and on his back, pure white glowing angel wings.

He asked, "Are you alright, Ichigo Momomiya?" He released her and her legs were weak from shock so she was sitting down on…the branch? How did she get up there?

"W-What are you?" she asked.

"Like I said about who I am, not important. First things first. Defeat that."

"Eh?" She looked down and that monster was heading towards them. She asked, "Me?" The monster tried to claw them, but Ryou picked her up again and jumped to another tree.

He said, "No offence, but you're heavier than you look." His arms were still on her until she pushed him away.

"Let go of me! What the heck is going on?"

"What's happening is that she's finally ready to chow down."

Ichigo looked back at the scene and the monster was heading for Kisshu. Her tail lifted him up and wrapped her tail around him,

"Kisshu!" she called, again but he was still unconscious.

The monster tightened her grip on him and he let out a moan of pain. Ichigo stared in fear as her friend was being strangled. The longer she stared, the faster her heart was pumping. From Ryou's point of view, he saw Ichigo's eyes glow red, almost cat like. He smirked and got out something gold from his pocket.

"Ichigo!" he called. She sharply looked at him and he handed the item in her hands. "Defeat the monster and save your boyfriend, Mew Ichigo."

"Mew…Ichigo?" she wondered out loud. That moment, she remembered what happened with the winged cat entering her body. Remembering that, she looked in her hands and a golden blotch was in her hands and it was glowing so beautifully.

'_What is this…this feeling? It feels like my body is calling out. No, not my body. My heart. Words are coming out from my heart.'_

She grasped the blotch and shouted, "Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!"

Her whole body glowed a bright pink that caused Ryou to cover his eyes and the monster to stop strangling Kisshu. The monster looked at the tree that Ichigo's on and all around her, the flames started to disintegrate. She covered her eyes with her arms too to protect them from the blinding light.

Ichigo could feel her whole body changing in so many ways. But during the process, she also felt pure bliss and warmth. In the air, she could hear the soft sound of music, the same kind of music she heard when she was with the cat.

When the light finally settled down, she was standing on the branch like it was solid and she was glowing a soft glow of pink all around her.

"Yes! Now it begins!" Ryou whispered at the sight of Ichigo.

Ichigo had neon pink hair and eyes. Instead of human ears, she has black cat ears on the top of her head. Her blotch that she was holding on became a part of a collar that she has on her neck. Her outfit was a pink strapless top with a dark pink trimming, and it had four triangle things connecting to the costume that were hanging on the bottom. She also had on a skirt; a light pink skirt that was about three inches above her ankles and it's very open. Hanging from her waist to the end of the skirt, a light pink ribbon was connected right in the middle of the skirt. Her arms had on what looks like pink arm bracelets and she has on light pink gloves. Behind her is a black tail with a red ribbon tied on it with a bell. Her shoes are only that of pinky heals. The interesting thing about her is that she has a halo above her head and white shoulder length angel wings.

"Strawberry Bell," she called, like she knew what she's doing. Her ribbon on her tail glowed and appeared in her hand. A heart shaped item with a golden bell hanging inside, a yellow bow in the middle as well as a light green bow. Seeing her like this, only made Ryou smirk more.

Ichigo pointed her weapon at the monster and yelled, "Let go of Kisshu, now!" The monster only roared at her. "You asked for it!" Ichigo jumped up and aimed her weapon at the monster. "For your sins, I will purify thee –Nya!" She raised the weapon in the air and chanted, "Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

The blast formed from the heart and a bright pink light went straight for the monster. The blast hit her and the last thing Ichigo heard of the monster was the cry of being purified. When the light vanished, Ichigo saw Kisshu's body heading for the ground.

She came back to her normal senses and called, "Kisshu!" She dove to the ground and caught him before he hit the floor. Only about two inches above the ground, she held him, bridal style and tried shaking him. "Kisshu! Kisshu! Wake up! Kisshu!" she called, but he wouldn't wake up.

"It's probably best that you don't wake him up, Ichigo." She turned around and Ryou flouted down to the ground.

He walked towards them and she asked, "What the heck is going on?! What's with these monster and why do I have to fight them? What's with this costume anyway?"

Right after that question, Ryou lifted up her head a bit with his fingers under her chin and told her, "Stop crying would you. Your boyfriend is safe now."

Ichigo blinked a bit in surprise and felt the wind on her cheeks. She's in deed crying but it wasn't why she's surprise. "He's not my boyfriend, got it! Now answer my questions!" She shook his hand away before she said that.

"Why are you so upset? Wasn't it a wonderful success?" he asked.

"You jerk! Answer my stupid questions!"

"Please, calm down, Ichigo. We are not your enemies." That wasn't Ryou. She looked towards where she heard the voice and in a one second blind light, Keiichiro appeared with white angle wings as well. "We will explain things to you soon. Your friend is only knocked out. He'll be fine."

Ichigo looked back at Kisshu and lightly smiled. "Thank goodness."

Without her realizing it, Keiichiro approached her and then lifted up a few strands of her. She noticed him when he lifted up her hair.

"My name is Keiichiro Akasaka. It's a pleasure to meet you," he greeted. He faced Ryou and said, "Prince Ryou, she won't be pleased with your attitude."

'_Prince?!'_ Ichigo freaked.

Keiichiro turned back to Ichigo and said, "It'll be an honor to escort a special lady. I'm at your service." After that, he lifted her hair up to his lips and he gentle kissed it. Even though it was her hair instead of her hand, Ichigo blushed.

"Special Lady?" she asked, embarrassed about what he did.

Ryou said, "If you two are done, let's go!"

"Go?" she asked in surprise. Both Ryou and Keiichiro looked at Ichigo confused as she tightens her grip on Kisshu. "I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me what the heck is going on now!"

"You're worried that if you leave him alone, he could get killed?" Ryou asked, pointing to the unconscious body in Ichigo's arms. She glared at him but he didn't look offended. "If we leave something with him that could protect him until he wakes up, will you be satisfied?"

"Matters on what you got."

Ryou let out a sigh and opened his hand. Inside was a little pink puffball. It gained a shape and it was a small little ball of fur with eyes, ears, dark pink wings, and a tail. It flapped it wings and flew.

Ichigo smiled at the little guy and cried, "So cute!!"

Keiichiro introduced, "His name is R2000. He'll protect your friend and clean up the rest of the court for you."

She stared at the item flying above her head and asked, "You expect me to believe that this little guy can do all of that?"

"Trust me," Ryou started. "He's stronger than he looks."

Keiichiro told her, "We promise that he's in good hands now."

"Besides, how would you explain this to him?" Ryou went straight for the punch.

Ichigo looked back down at Kisshu and made up her mind. She walked over to a tree and laid him down on the ground, leaning on the tree. She stood up and told them, "Fine, I'll come."

Keiichiro smiled even more as Ryou rolled his eyes and said, "Took you long enough." Ichigo was starting to get really tired of his crappy attitude but without another word, she fallowed them

After they left, R2000 started to go to work. He opened his mouth and started eating stuff up like Pokeman (or whatever that video game is called). He swallowed them in his mouth and flouted to the garbage. He dumped them all out that way. While he was working, Kisshu was staring to moan. Just like what happened last night, every blood cell in his body felt hot as they rushed through his blood stream. The pain spread throughout his body as the blood kept flowing and the source of the pain was where it was hurting at the most; his chest. The cause of his pain is one simple answer. The sun is setting.

"All done, all done," R2000 chanted, putting away the last garbage bag of leaves into the trash can. After he said that, he heard Kisshu moaning. "Boy hurt! Boy hurt!" He flouted towards Kisshu and watched as he was groaning and moaning in pain. Kisshu had his hands over his heart and his face showed pain. All R2000 did was watch. Then he cried, "Gotta get help! Gotta get help!" Before he flew away however, Kisshu reached up and quickly grabbed him. "Uh?"

R2000 watched as Kisshu sat up and when he looked at the little machine, his eyes were blood red. R2000 started panicking. "Agent Alert! Agent Alert!"

"Don't…you ever shut up?!" Kisshu asked, his fangs revealed as he talked. In one grip, R2000 was crushed. His little robotic remains fell to the floor from Kisshu's hands. He got up and dusted his hands. A huge grin decorated his face.

A big black aura appeared from the ground under Kisshu and it wrapped around him. If anyone saw this, they would think that the black aura became a cocoon for him. When the cocoon broke, Kisshu looked different. His hair still had that dark emerald color but the two longer areas in front of his ears were tied back with a dark red bandage. His eyes were amber golden and cat like. His skin is as pale as bone and he has big elf like ears. His outfit was a light brown baggy sleeveless shirt that bared his midriff. His bottoms is a dark brown pants that hangs on his hips and on the back of it is two black long ribbons. His shoes were brown too but they looked like they were tied on to him with a very thin black string. Besides his hair, he also has dark red bandages on his arms and his shins. Almost like Ichigo, he has bat wings on his back that was only about three inches longer than shoulder length. He chuckled in delight, revealing his long fangs in the process.

"Time to eat."


	3. Answers and Death

**A/N: Hello, dear fans! Here is the third chapter of this story and I have made a decision that not only involves this story but 'Betrayal Reveals Love', too.**

**Inuyasha: Since she's pretty much don't have to worry about 'Betrayal Reveals Love' too much, she decided that she will release the same number of chapters as the other so they are both equal. In other words since there are about four chapters for 'Betrayal Reveals Love', she won't let out any more chapters for that story until 'Heaven and Hell' catches up.**

**Tsukiko: I understand that the wait will be painful but there is something you must know. We all started school, right? It might take me longer than before to unleash the chapters but bear with me here! I go to a private school that gives a chuck load of homework!**

**Inuyasha: No whining.**

**Tsukiko: Sorry.**

**Inuyasha: Tsukiko does not own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you for the reviews and please, keep them coming. Please enjoy.**

_'When you need comfort, who do you go to?'_

Ch. 3: Knowledge and Death

When Ichigo saw the big pink building in front of her, she was nearly speechless. A two story building that's shaped like a miniature castle, made with pink stones. On the first floor, there were windows the shaped of hearts, bordered with dark pinky stones. The second story looked like it has the same windows and there's a balcony. The ceiling looked like the same color as the window borderers and the outside is decorated with different girlish color hearts.

"This building…" she mumbled, still surprised. Then she smiled and said, "A cute café!" Ryou had the face of 'this is the hero?' looked.

Keiichiro told Ichigo, "This café will open in a few days. We're waiting for the food to come in."

'_Food? I wonder what kind of food are they going to sell?'_ Ichigo wondered.

"Ichigo-san!" She turned her attention back to Keiichiro and Ryou. Keiichiro greeted, "Welcome to Café Mew Mew, as well as…"

"Our hideout," Ryou finished. They opened the door and Ichigo looked more stunned of the inside then the outside.

She entered the café, fallowing Ryou and Keiichiro, and she stared at the ceiling, the walls, the tables, and the chairs. The ceiling was painted gold with a layer of green and then blue under it. Some of the walls are painted dark pink like the windows and some of them were painted a lime green. Against the wall are some white skinny pillars that are only a three of four feet distance from each other. At the top of each pillar, is a pinky light heart. The white tables were skinny legged and on in the middle has a table cloth on it with empty glass dishes on it. That's probably where the food is going to be presented when the customers come in. The chairs are white but the resting cushion for the back is red and it's a heart shape. Everything just looked so cute.

Ichigo happily, complimented, "What a beautiful store!" Ryou sat down on one of the chairs and Keiichiro presented a present for Ichigo.

He offered the box to her and said, "This is for you, Ichigo-san. There's a dressing room down the hall. Can you please change into it?"

She raised a brow and asked, "Why?"

"Just hurry up and do it," Ryou told him. At the corner of her lip, Ichigo's mouth is twitching and she was glaring at Ryou. But she calmed down hr glare and accepted the box. "I'm only doing this so you can explain to me what the heck is going on!"

'_And for helping me save Kisshu.'_

Ichigo rushed to the dressing room but before she opened the door she, yelled, "How do I turn back into a human?!"

Keiichiro answered, "Just think about turning back into a human!" Ichigo closed her eyes and thought of her human form. When she opened them, she looked and she turned back into a human. No more ears, no tail, and no wings. She was even back into her PE uniform. She got her answer so she went inside the dressing room and changed into the present.

"So it finally started, hasn't it?" Keiichiro asked Ryou. "The Mew Angel project?"

Ryou answered, "Yeah. And the Dark Agent plan started too."

"Do you believe that maybe she's ready?"

"She has to be. I just hope that none of the agents are anyone she knows."

"That's my hope too."

What stopped their conversation is the sound of Ichigo's squeal. "Awwww! What is this?! Kawaii – kawaii! – kawaii!!" She went out and presented her new outfit to them.

It looks like a maid outfit but it's cuter, like Ichigo squealed. The red skirt is at least three inches longer than the waist. The red top has puff sleeves and a pink ribbon as a tie. She has on a white apron that's heart shaped on the bottom part of it.

"Fabulous," Keiichiro complimented. "It looks great."

"R-Really?"

"One of the best designs," Ryou said. "The costume at least."

'_Why you!!'_ Ichigo was back to glaring at him.

Keiichiro distracted her, like always. "Please, my prince. At least be nicer to her. We are going to be working together for a while."

"Working together for a while?!" Ichigo asked. She started fuming. "Okay! That's it! I want answers now! Who the heck are you, why was that monster after Kisshu, and why was I left to fight it by myself?!"

Keiichiro smiled and said, "Please forgive me, Ichigo-san. But I promise you that we are you allies. My name is, as I told you, Akasaka Keiichiro and I am one of Prince's Ryou loyal servant. I have been serving him for the past three thousand years."

'_Three thousand?! But he looks like he's only in his twenties! Wait! Then how old is this guy?!'_ Ichigo wondered.

Ryou answered, "I'm at least sixteen thousand years old."

'_No way! Now he can read minds?!'_

"My name is Shirogane Ryou and I'm the prince of the Heaven Kingdom."

"Heaven…Kingdom?"

"Yes," Keiichiro answered. "You see since the beginning of time, heaven and hell have been in war with each other. Hell's king is known as Deep Blue."

"Deep…Blue?" Ichigo questioned.

Ryou said, "A long time ago, Deep Blue and my father fought against each other in what looked like the last battle of the war. My father was the king of the Heaven Kingdom and a great warrior. My mother was the queen of the Heaven Kingdom and a great sorceries. Using the last of their powers, they sealed Deep Blue in the depths of hell where he belongs; never again to rage demons or himself in Heaven or earth. In short, they destroyed his body and his soul is forever in hell. But he found a way that he could wreck havoc on earth with using that of chosen souls."

"Chosen souls?" Ichigo asked.

"Similar to you, there are three humans out there who have been infused with the hellish powers of Deep Blue, or what you humans call it, the devil. Those humans now are known as agents," Keiichiro answered.

Ichigo asked, "Then was that monster from before one of the three agents?"

"No," Ryou answered. "Agents aren't destroyed that easily. What you just fought is a kirema anima."

"Kirema anima? But you called it differently last time. You called it a demon!"

"He was trying to use human language for you to understand," Keiichiro defended. "You should be lucky, Ichigo-san. Demons or kirema animas are really souls of humans that have been deceased. Yesterday, the devil infused three humans and since night time is when they are at their strongest, they couldn't control themselves. We were trying to come to earth as humans so we don't know who they are. What we do know is that last night, three people were found dead with having the blood sucked out of them."

"Three? But there was one when I saw the news this morning. Wait! You mean to tell me I just destroyed a human soul because it was turned into a demon?"

Ryou explained, "You purified it actually. Last night they found one body but during mid day, they found two more bodies like that. The agents first bite their victims and if they suck every last drop of blood, then not only will they get more powerful but they also get to do whatever it is they want with the soul. Once they get the soul, they infuse it with some of their own power and let it loose. That was another reason why they suck blood and the victim has to be dead. Your job is to purify the agent's powers from the soul. Then the demon will be demolished and the soul can rest in peace."

Ichigo asked, "So every time I end up fighting one of those things, I know that someone died?"

"Yes, but the agents have another trick. They can also possess a human. Turning a human into a demon takes a lot of time and power so possessing a human is easier and they can control it better. If a human is possessed, then you can save that life." Ichigo let out a sigh of relief, but then she remembered something.

"Hold on! If there are three agents and only one of me, how am I supposed to fight them?! Also, what was with the cat ears and the tail?! You didn't explain that!"

"If you let us, we would have seconds ago," Ryou told her. A vein popped out of her head this time. "First off, you're not alone. We infused four other girls with Red Data animals. Since Red Data animals have a strong power to protect their species which is a no brainer that we would use them. You Ichigo Momomiya are fused with the genes of Irimote cat."

Being reminded of that, Ichigo remembered that dream she had with the cat with wings entering her body. Then if that's real than Kisshu's scream…

She shook that thought out of her head and thought of other matters, like the fact that she's infused the genes of a cat.

"Then are you telling me that I'm going to turn into a cat?!"

Ryou answered, "It can't be helped. It all comes with using the powers of the Red Data animal."

"That that explains why I was so sleepy today! Cats are depress when it rains and they're tired most of the day! I was barely wake for school today!"

"Can't be helped."

Okay, now Ichigo is started to have enough of this guy. She marched towards the dressing room and when she came out, she had on her PE uniform on instead of the outfit she got. She went to the table and put the box there.

"Thank you, but I'm not going to do it!" she told them. Then she started marching towards the door.

"Wait, Ichigo-san!" Keiichiro called, but she didn't listen. When she opened the door and she was already half outside, Ryou sensed something.

"Get back in here, you idiot!"

"No way!" she told him. She left the door open as she stormed out of there. Then when she was about four feet away from the door, she felt very cold arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Good choice," she heard someone whisper in her ear.

"An agent!" Ryou yelled. The agent turned around to the café and faced his palm to them. The door immediately closed and locked both Ryou and Keiichiro inside. Ichigo was paralyzed from his touch a long time ago but when he hugged her back, she was shivering.

"You made a very wise choice, little kitten," he told her. "Wouldn't want people important to you to get hurt now do you?" Her eyes widen in surprise and then she felt a tongue against her skin on her neck. "I can save you. All you have to do is trust me."

Shivers went down Ichigo's spine and she remembered Ryou's words.

_The agents first bite their victims and if they suck every last drop of blood, then not only will they get more powerful but they also get to do whatever it is they want with the soul._

Ichigo pushed the figure behind her away and yelled, "No way am I going to let you take my soul!" But the moment she turned around to face her attacker, her eyes widen in surprise.

The doors of the café suddenly opened but when they saw them, they were just as shocked at Ichigo. The agent's hand is under Ichigo's chin and his lips were occupying hers. He kissed her a little while longer and then broke it.

"My name's Kish. Thanks for the kiss," he told her.

Ichigo stared at her kisser and he's actually a looker; if it weren't for the red eyes bit though.

He smiled at her like some kind of kid playing a game and asked, "Why are you so shocked? You must have really liked it. My kiss that is. Want to try it again?" The mention of the kiss, woke Ichigo up and she tried to kick him.

"Not on your life, creep!" she yelled. He jumped up and her kick missed him.

He's up in mid air, staring at Ichigo and said, "You know, I like it when you're feisty. You're so much cuter when you're all flustered like that." Ichigo got angry.

"Come down here and fight, you coward!" she yelled.

He disappeared and reappeared right in front of her. "Okay!" Surprised to suddenly see him so close, she backed away and threw a punch at him. He caught it with his bare hands. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"Uh?"

"You mean that you don't feel any pain when I'm touching you?" His smile grew wider and he cheered, "Must be because we are meant to be. After all, I really liked that kiss we shared." Ichigo got really angry at that.

Keiichiro yelled, "Ichigo-san! Don't let him make you angry! Anger and hatred is what makes an agent more powerful!"

"What?" Ichigo mumbled.

Kish got a bit upset by him and let go of Ichigo's hand. A black and green guitar suddenly appeared in front of him and he started playing. He's actually pretty good. His hands and his finger moved around the strings like he's been playing for years. Ichigo stared at his fingers in amazement, but then she heard two cries. She turned towards Ryou and Keiichiro and they both were on their knees, gripping their head in pain.

"What are you doing? Stop it!" Ichigo told him. When she touched Kish's shoulder, an electrifying pain shocked though both of their bodies. They both let out a small cry and then back away from each other. Ichigo gripped her wrist and tried to breath. That pain… It felt almost exactly like when she touched that ring from before.

"Interesting."

Ichigo looked up from her hand to Kish and his guitar is gone. He placed his hand over his shoulder where she touched him and he grinned. "You tried to save them even though you walked away from them. I like that, actually." Kish jumped up in the air and stayed there. "Take my kiss as a greeting for today. I'll see you soon, koneko-chan. I promise." He teleported away and Ichigo was left wide eye and her heart started beating.

Keiichiro and Ryou got up and Keiichiro asked, "Ichigo-san, are you okay?" She didn't say anything. She was…remembering something.

'_Can I give you a nickname?'_

'_A nickname?'_

'_Yeah. You know something that proves our friendship with one another.'_

'_But I don't want to give you a nickname. I like your name. Do you not like my name?'_

'_No, of course I do! It's a very beautiful name. I just thought that maybe I can call you something cute.'_

'_Oh, yeah?! Like what?'_

'_You act like a cat sometimes, and it's cute! How about… koneko-chan?'_

Lightly, Ichigo had shivers all over her body. But from afar, she looked like she was just standing very still. Keiichiro didn't exactly noticed it, but Ryou did. He walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She automatically looked at him and he said, "Stay the night here." That woke her up.

"What? No way, buddy! I know exactly what you mean and I ain't falling for that!"

Ryou rolled his eyes and told her, "It's not like that. I only told you to do that because since there's an agent out there and he knows what you look like. It's not a good idea to go anywhere otherwise he'll find more love ones to play with." What he said could be the truth. Ichigo looked down at the ground and thought about it.

"What about Kisshu? Is he okay?"

Keiichiro said, "We'll call R2000 and ask him about your friend."

"So stop worrying and get to bed. You're going to need all of the rest you can get."

"Now hold on! Who said I was going to join this little club thing?!" Ichigo demanded.

All Ryou answered is, "Since the day you got that mark on your body."

"Mark? What mark?"

"Look at your leg."

She did and she saw a light pink little mark on her upper thigh. She started to freak. "What the heck?!"

Keiichiro answered, "Please, Ichigo-san. It's nothing serious. Having a mark to show that you're an angel will make your job a whole lot easier. Every human who got infused has a mark. Even the agents have a mark."

"Then how am I supposed to tell the difference between an agent and an angel?"

"You didn't see it, or were your eyes to wide from the kiss?" Ryou asked, getting on her nerves again. "That agent had a mark on the right side of his neck. It looked like a circle with a squiggly line on it's left and right side of it. It also had a triangle on the opposite side of the lines. If you find someone with that mark, then you'll know it's an agent."

'_You have got to be freakin kidding me!'_

"I'm not kidding."

"Stop reading my mind!!" Ichigo yelled.

He told her, "I'm not reading your mind. Unless your mind is your face. You're so easy to read."

"What?!"

"Everyone, please. Calm down, calm down."

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Around five o'clock in the morning, Ichigo woke up. She looked at her surrounds and all she could see is white; white walls, white curtains, white floors, and the white covers she was under. When she sat up on her bed, even her PJ's are white.

She thought, _'These guys need to have another color than white.'_

She looked up at the corner of her room and saw her clothes, folded nice and neatly on the white chair. Defiantly need to get a better color than white. She looked outside the window and she could see the sun starting to rise up from the sea. She stared at the scenery for a bit before she got up. She walked over to her clothes and started changing.

'_First they tell me that I'm now some superhero who is supposed to find her comrades, I have to fight the devil and some agent jerk who just kissed me, and I have to save all human kind! What is this? Sailor Moon remix version?'_ she wondered as she changed from her PJ's to her PE uniform.

After she changed, she went to the bed and neatly made it. She folded her borrowed PJ's and left them on the chair. She walked out of the room, as quietly as she could. She went down stairs and then out the front door.

'_They said that agents are at their strongest at night so maybe they don't come out when it's day time. Perfect time and reason to escape.'_

After she closed the front door, she ran. She ran from the middle of the park to the side walk. She fallowed the sidewalk and the turns to get to her house. When she finally arrived at her house, she had to lean on the mailbox to breathe.

"Finally! Home at last!" she breathed out.

'_Now I just hope that dad isn't all excited by a sudden sleep over that I had to go to. Why worry about my dad? I should worry about my mom who practically cooks for three people at five! I wonder why they didn't answer the phone when I called them.'_

Ichigo looked up from the mail box and her eyes fallowed a house right next door to her house. An old empty house that looked like it hasn't been used in years. In truth, no one has moved in for the past seven or eight years. Ichigo stood up straight and stared at the old abandon house. In her head, she could still hear the sound of a little boy no older than six calling for her.

'_Koneko-chan!'_

Ichigo continued to stare at the old house and she wondered, _'Eight years you've been gone. Eight years…'_ Trying to shake the feeling away, she rapidly shook her head and slapped her cheeks a couple of times. She looked back up at her house and let out a frustrated sigh.

She walked up to her house and turned the knob. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" she yelled in the house. When she entered, it was dark and no one answered yet. Her mom and dad are usually up at this time. That was confusing.

"Mom? Dad? You home?" she asked again. She took off her shoes and walked around in her house. Still nothing.

Then she got into the living room. "Mom? Dad?" It was still dark in there. She went to the light switch and turned it on. She looked back into the room and her heart just stopped. Her eyes widen in shock, terror, and disbelief. She took a few steps back but that was about all she could for the moment. Her body was shaking violently and she was having a hard time to breath.

On the floor, there are two bodies. Or rather about four of them. Both of her parents looked like they were chopped in half. Spilled food and ripped up newspaper decorated the floor stained floor. Finally, Ichigo couldn't hold it anymore.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

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'_Ow, my fricken head!'_

That was Kisshu's first thought when he woke up. He fluttered his eyes open and stared at the wall. Man his head hurts to high heaven. He didn't even care that he was staring at a wall, or that he's under his covers in only his boxers.

He sat up on his bed and held his head in his hands. He looked at his alarm clock and it's about five fifty in the morning. Not the time he usually gets up at.

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

'_First this headache and now a phone calls? What the hell!'_ he wondered, reaching for his phone on the counter. Wait! Counter?

After Kisshu grabbed his phone, he looked all around. He really is in his room, but how did he get there? When did he get there? Being distracted by the rings, he looked at his phone and the caller ID is…Ichigo?

He answered, "Ichigo?" Instead of an answer, he heard the sound of other people, sirens, and sobbing. Ichigo is sobbing on the other side of the line. "Ichigo? Ichigo honey, what's wrong?"

She let out a few more cries and answered, "Kisshu…" That was all he needed to hear.

"Hold on, okay? I'll be right at your house! You are at your house right?"

She cried again, but said, "Yeah…"

"Okay, I'll be right there." He hung up after that.

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When Kisshu got there, there were people everywhere, an ambulance, and at least three police cars. People were all crowding around to see what the hell was happening. Kisshu went into the crowd and pushed his way to get a closer look. People were complaining but right now, he doesn't care. When he got to the 'no passing' rope, he looked at the police on guard and when they weren't looking, he went under the rope and ran for it.

"Hey stop! You can't be here!" a police man yelled.

'_Like that's stopping me.'_

Kisshu kept running until he got to the sidewalk just in front of Ichigo's house. He saw four ambulance wagons carrying away something and he saw that one of the wagons were showing a female hand. He knew who it was immediately. It shocked him and disgusted him at the very sight of it. Then his attention went towards something else when he saw Ichigo.

Ichigo was sitting at the edge of the sidewalk, crying, and holding her legs close to her. An inspector was talking to her but all she did was shook or nodded her head. She shook it most of the time. Then there was also two more people there. The adult had long brown hair and he has the usual Japanese color skin. Then there was someone that Kisshu did not improve of. A blond boy with tan skin and blue eyes; he must be hapa or something. But what made Kisshu upset was the fact that he had his arm on Ichigo's shoulders.

A bit upset to see that, he called, "Ichigo!" Ichigo's head perked up and three more pairs of eyes were on him.

"Kisshu…" Ichigo softly called. Without warning, Ichigo got up and ran to him. She jumped on him and hugged him. Kisshu hugged her back and Ichigo started crying on him.

"Shhh, shhh. I'm here, Ichigo. I'm here," he told her, trying to comfort her. Seeing that Ichigo, the victim's daughter, hugged Kisshu, the police didn't try to take him out.

Ichigo sobbed on his shoulder as she tried to say, "It's terrible… my parents! They're-"

He didn't let her finish. Saying those words might have destroyed her. "I know, Ichigo. I saw. I promise I'll hunt down whoever did that to them. You have my word." The promise was ridiculous, but Ichigo nodded her head and continued to cry on his shoulder.

When Ryou saw Kisshu like that, he got a bit suspicious. He looked a lot like the agent from last night. But seeing that Ichigo needed this, he tried to push the thought away. After all, why would he be an agent? But then again, why couldn't they detect R2000 when they wanted too?


	4. First Date

**A/N: Hello dear fans!! I know that most of you are wondering if rather some other agent or Kisshu killed Ichigo's parents, but I will say this…… You're going to have to wait!! The person who killed Ichigo's parents is going to be a big surprise because it's the turning point of the relationships in here! There's more than one relationship before we get to the truth. Also, I read some of my reviews that you don't want this to be long about Ichigo finding her fellow comrades so I made a commitment to write a chapter of Ichigo finding her comrades and getting them to join her in one chapter, no matter how long it is! Sorry guys!**

**Inuyasha: I'm sure that they're going to forgive you in time.**

**Tsukiko: I sure hope so.**

**Inuyasha: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. In this story, she's going to use a lot of songs because they are very important in this story. Also, once she let's out chapter five of this story, chapter five of 'Betrayal Reveals Love' will appear.**

**Tsukiko: That reminds me… Why are you here? Aren't you back in that story?**

**Inuyasha: Do you want me to leave?**

**Tsukiko: No! I was just wondering… Before I forget, I would like you to give me ideas on what to call my sequel to my first story and probably some names. Apparently the names for the children remind me and some of my fans too much of my first anime, 'Inuyasha'.**

**Inuyasha: Yes?**

**Tsukiko: Not you, Inuyasha. The anime/manga!**

**Inuyasha: Oh.**

**Tsukiko: I'm keeping Kaguya and Mizu but I would like some boy's names for Pudding's and Taruto's son. Thank you for the lovely reviews and please keep them coming. I need help here!**

**Tsukiko and Inuyasha: Enjoy!**

_'When you know something of great importance, would you keep it to yourself or let it out?'_

Ch. 4: First Date

It's raining. That was how you can describe the day.

The rain fell from the sky in the size of pebbles and the clouds were covering the blue sky and the sun. It suited the mood just fine. People in black were all on top of a grassy hill, walking passed tombstones as they left the one that they came to say their final farewells to. One still stayed.

Ichigo stayed by her parent's grave, emotionless and wet. She didn't care if the rain drenched through her clothes and freeze her to the bone. She didn't care if she turned into a statue for standing there too long. She didn't even care if she died right there and there.

As she stared at the two tombstones with her family name on it, someone covered her with an umbrella. Feeling that the rain isn't dripping on her anymore, she looked up and Ryou and Keiichiro were there.

Ryou told her, "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here too long."

Ichigo looked back at her parents and answered, "I don't care. But thank you."

Ryou raised a brow and asked, "For what?"

"For paying for my parent's funeral and for making sure that I don't go up for adoption," she answered.

"No problem. If I allowed you to be up for adoption, then you might end up with some American family and go away. We need you here, Ichigo. That's why I did that."

Ichigo nodded and added, "Also, thank you for being here. It means a lot to me."

"Ichigo-san," Keiichiro called. Ichigo looked up at him and he asked, "Isn't your friend here? Kisshu-san?"

Ichigo looked at the ground and shook her head. "No," she answered. "He didn't show up at all. Not for the funeral and not for the burial."

Keiichiro had on a sorrowful face on and told her, "I'm sorry. I'm sure that he tried his hardest to try and be here." Ichigo nodded and Ryou stared at her. He put the umbrella in his other hand and put his now free hand on Ichigo's shoulders. She looked up in response for the touch.

He told her, "Don't give up for your boyfriend. He'll make up for it somehow. I could see how much he cares for you." Ichigo nodded her head in agreement.

Maybe he's right. After all thanks to the death of her parents bit, Ichigo's been doing a lot of thinking lately. Now, hearing Kisshu being called her 'boyfriend' actually doesn't sound like a bad thing. He may have been teasing her here and there but he cares for her. He doesn't think that she's annoying or anything else that Masaya called her. But why isn't he here then?

"Ichigo!"

Ryou mumbled, "Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear."

"Prince Ryou!"

"It's a human saying."

Ichigo ignored their little conversation and looked at towards her left. Leaning on the tree and breathing heavy, Kisshu in a black outfit was there. Seeing him, Ichigo gained back most of her feelings. Seeing him brought back shock and a racing heart.

He looked up and said, "Sorry, I'm late. When I realized that it was the morning and not the afternoon, I ran to the temple, prayed, and ran here. At least you're still here, honey." He flashed her a smile and that made Ichigo start tearing.

"Kisshu!" she called, running away from Ryou and his umbrella. She ran to Kisshu and hugged him. Kisshu didn't expect that to happen.

"Hey, honey, what's wrong?" he asked. He heard her crying on his shoulder so he hugged her closer to him. "Shh, shh. It's okay. I'm here. I'll always will be."

"I'm glad," she told him. "I'm so glad you're here, Kisshu." She started crying again and he tightened his grip on her.

Seeing that she's pretty much forgotten that they were there, Ryou said, "Let's go. We have no need to be here now."

Keiichiro nodded and said, "Yes, my prince."

"Hey, Ichigo!" Ryou called. Both Kisshu and Ichigo broke their hug and looked at Ryou. Ryou closed his umbrella and tossed it to them. Kisshu got it and Ryou said, "Take it. You're going to need it for this rain."

Ichigo asked, "What about you?"

He answered, "We're leaving anyway. A little rain isn't going to give us a cold. Your boyfriend is going to pay his respects to your parents right? You need it more than I do."

Ichigo nodded and bowed down in respect. "Thank you, Ryou." Ryou nodded and both Keiichiro walked passed them.

"Good bye, Ichigo-san," Keiichiro told her.

She waved and answered, "Bye, Keiichiro." They both disappeared from Ichigo's sight and she still stared at the path they choose to take to leave.

"Ichigo," Kisshu called. Ichigo didn't have time to turn around. He was right at her ear and he asked, "Who are they?" Hearing that question, Ichigo tensed up. Crap! What is she going to say?

She answered, "Ahhh, well… That was Shirgane Ryou and Akasaka Keiichiro. Ryou is a… a super rich kid and Keiichiro is a…a… chef! They both own a café that's going to open up soon. I accidently ran into them and I saw the building. It's really cute."

'_It was either that or telling him that they both are really angels who are here to destroy all evil on earth.'_

Kisshu raised a brow and stared at her. She started panicking. Hopefully he bought it. He let out a sigh and asked, "Are you and that Ryou guy friends?"

She saw what he was getting at. "No! We're just acquaintances! I harbor no liking to that smart talking, rude jerk!" He still stared at her and she panicked even more.

"Fine," he answered. Ichigo let out a sigh of relief for that. He nearly gave her a heart attack.

Kisshu opened up the umbrella and hover it over both him and Ichigo. They walked over to Ichigo's parents grave and Kisshu was able to pay his respects to them. Ichigo held the umbrella while he did what he needed to do _(I don't know how a Japanese funeral goes, sorry)_. As Ichigo watched Kisshu, she was thinking. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad. They pretty much know each other for the past five years. So maybe…

When Kisshu was done, Ichigo told him, "Thank you for coming, Kisshu. I'm sure that both of my parents are happy that you were able to come here."

Kisshu let out a chuckled and answered, "I don't know about that. Maybe your mom but not your dad. Your dad pretty much hated me since the day I met you."

"That's because he thought you were a gangster and he thought that you would hurt me or something like that if I went out with you."

"He must have lost his mind. I would never hurt you, Ichigo. I rather get arrested, be in court for half a year, and get the death penalty than hurt you."

"Sounds like to me you know a lot about that."

"Now I'm starting to get the impression that your dad put in awful thoughts about me into your head."

"Only the hurting and the gangster thoughts."

"And now?"

Ichigo's heart started to race. How was she going to answer to that?

She turned red and looked the other way, but not in an embarrassed way. "Of course not! What makes you think that now that I have no one to tell me no, I would start saying yes?"

Kisshu just smiled, but in a warm and sweet way. "Glad to see that the Ichigo I know has come back to life."

"Come back to life?" Ichigo asked, looking back at him. "What do you mean?"

He answered, "Well before, you were like a zombie! I swear! Every time you walked passed somebody, they feel like a storm just passed by." Ichigo got red again.

"I wasn't acting like a zombie!"

"Yes you were! You were like this!" He started walking away with his arms up and his feet walking straight. He was doing the Frankenstein walk.

"That's Frankenstein, idiot! Not a zombie!"

Kisshu stopped when he was at least three meters away and told her, "Then you show me how it's done, zombie girl!" Ichigo started growling.

"I'll show you zombie and it ain't a zombie girl!" She started chasing him and he started running. A laughing Kisshu is being chased by an angry Ichigo. That was how life used to be before Ichigo's parents.

Kisshu stopped at one place and when Ichigo got close enough, he quickly darted off and she nearly crashed into a tree. She stopped and looked around for him. When she saw him, he was sticking his tongue at her. She got even angrier at him and then darted off at him. This time, she got him because he didn't react fast enough. Sure they both landed on the mud and Ichigo was on top of him, but they both were laughing.

"Ha! Got you, Kisshu!" she announced, victoriously. He let out a chuckle at her reaction.

"Well, look where you are, honey." She looked down and that was when she noticed that she was on top of him. She got so red that she didn't move fast enough. Kisshu let out a grin and pushed her to the ground this time. "Didn't know that you were this straightforward."

"Yeah, well, get off me! I don't kiss people I don't go out with," she told him, pushing him off.

He smiled this time and said, "Well then don't why not we both go out on a date?" She looked at him confused and he added, "How about it? Want to get a bite to eat?"

He always ask her out and she always decline but with all of these new changes. She might have a different answer. Her face turned into a ripe strawberry and she automatically nodded her head.

His whole face perked up. "Really? You mean it?"

She nodded again and answered, "I guess I could give you a chance. Seeing that you'll just threaten the next guy who I'll ask out in the future." After she said that, she let a sneeze.

_Aa-choo_

Kisshu put on a small smile and told her, "Trust me on this. I checked all of those boys before you told them and they all were no good. Especially that Aoyama guy." He grabbed her hands and they both got up. "How about before we get a bite, we get you some clothes. You're drenched to the bone, you have mud on your dress, and you're close to catching a cold."

Ichigo sniffled and answered, "Probably right. I'm freezing my butt out here." She looked around and asked, "Where's the umbrella?" Kisshu looked confused but he looked around too. Then he made a face.

"I think it's back where you're parents are. I'll go get it, okay?" He flashed her a smile and that made Ichigo's heart starting to race. She nodded without even knowing it. He used his hand to gently touch her cheek and her heart beat even faster. "I'll be right back so stay under a tree until I get back, okay?" He stopped and ran to the top of the hill again. Ichigo was left, breathless.

She placed her hand over her heart and it was still beating hard. The remains of her heat raised to her cheeks and it turned her face red. Since when was the last time she felt like this?

When Kisshu arrived back on the top of the hill, he saw the umbrella right in front of Ichigo's parents.

"There we are!" he said. He walked over to the umbrella and picked it up. Before he left though, he noticed that one of the vases of flowers is tipped over. "Ichigo would kill me if I left this." He bent over to pick up the vase and when he put it back by the tombstone, his eyes widen in surprised as images started rushing through his head.

First he saw a couple, happily talking. The female looked like she was cooking and the male looked like he was reading the newspaper. The next image was the female in fear as she clenched the male's body. The hand of the male reached for her face and then dropped. The next image was the female being cut in half and the last one was that of seeing the attacker in the pool of blood that he made. He licked his claws clean of the blood that was on his hands. He smiled and then teleported away in what looked like a black cocoon that simply disappeared right after it completely covered him.

Kisshu let go of the vase and took a few steps back. "What the hell…was that?" he mumbled, out loud. He had one hand on his head and the other holding the umbrella. His eyes were still wide from seeing all of those images and his body was slightly shivering and it wasn't from the cold. Something was up but it seemed to be too scary for him to want to find out.

Remembering Ichigo, Kisshu walked away from the grave and went down the hill. He saw Ichigo standing under a tree and she looked like she was dazing off into space but it wasn't in a happy way; more like a sad way. Seeing her face brought him comfort from his little episode that he had. He smiled and walked towards her. She didn't even notice he was there until he hover the umbrella over her head.

She turned around and he said, "Welcome back to earth. How was Mars up there?" Getting the joke, she playfully pushed him.

"Whatever! Aren't we supposed to be getting something to eat?" she asked.

He answered, "Not until we get you some new clothes. I don't want the next funeral I have to go to be to be yours."

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, wise guy."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Do you think it was right?" Keiichiro asked Ryou. Keiichiro had his eyes on the road as Ryou was leaning on the door, staring out the window.

He answered, "If he is an agent, he doesn't even realize it."

"But if Ichigo-san isn't aware of what he is, then he might hurt her once he finds out what he's capable of and what she is."

"We don't even know if rather he's an agent or not."

"But my prince, we couldn't detect R2000's signal and when we went back to the school grounds, he was in pieces. The last person who was with him was Kisshu-san."

"Don't always believe what the obvious might be. Once we put him back together, we'll see what happened."

"If we do. Most of his parts were demolished from a very powerful crush. We'll be lucky if he even has any memories of what happened to him. But I'm still curious. Why do you not believe that he might be an agent?"

"Because it's cloudy right now. Agents would go out into the open during day time as long as the sun is hiding. He looked like he has total control and he was human. Also, I tried to look at his neck. So far, I couldn't find any marks."

"He also didn't have the ring as a sign of working for Deep Blue, didn't he?"

"No, but that agent that night didn't have a ring either. It was one of the first things I checked before I looked for his mark. Since the rain looks like it will clear up soon, we have nothing to fear since the ring also allows him to transform into an agent during the day as well."

"But if he didn't have the ring then not only is it harder to find his human form, it also proves that he has no control over his agent self."

"For one who doesn't even know he's an agent…also has no memory of the deeds he's done."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

After they left the funeral, Kisshu and Ichigo had to walk to the mall. First thing Kisshu bought were towels and two cups of hot chocolate to warm them up a bit. After that little snack, they went to a clothes store and this time, Ichigo paid. That made Kisshu promise that he gets to pay for the date since it's supposed to be the males who pay for dates.

Ichigo got herself some tight, ankle length jeans a white tank top, and a pink jacket. She was going to get a black one, but Kisshu made her pick another one. All he asked for was long jeans, a white male tank top, and some black sweat bands for his wrists. Ichigo asked him why he gets to wear black and she doesn't. Her answer was that black didn't exactly look that good on her. What they did to the clothes was keeping it inside the plastic shopping bag until they get home.

After shopping for clothes, they started their date. Since they both were hungry, they went to a dinner. Kisshu ordered a double cheeseburger with everything on it and Ichigo said that she didn't want anything. Kisshu didn't believe a single word that she just said. He told the waitress to just get her some soup.

"I'm fine, Kisshu! You didn't have to get me anything!" she whined at him when the waitress left.

He told her, "Ichigo, I heard your stomach growling on the way out of that clothe store! Look, I know that when your depressed, you don't want to eat or do anything. I understand that, but it's not healthy. So when your food gets here, shut up and eat it or I'll force it down your throat through mouth to mouth."

"You just want an excuse to kiss me."

"I have to give it a try, right?" He took her hand and her heart started acting up again. He gently rubbed her soft cold hand and said, "Seeing you like this is the worst pain anyone can give me. You of all people should know that." Ichigo's heart raced faster this time. Her face started getting redder and red the longer he held her hand.

She tried to look the other way as she answered, "I guess…I…didn't…exactly…gave it…that much thought." She looked at him again and this time, he was close.

He had to lean over the table to get to where he is now. His free hand gently brushed away a few strands of her hair behind her ear and his palm lightly touched her cheek. He leaned in closer towards her and his eyes were closed. He was at least an inch away and the distance decreased with each heart pound. Ichigo was able to taste his breath inside her mouth and man! Her instincts wanted to kiss, bad! Maybe having him kissing her wouldn't be such a bad thing like how she at first thought it would be. After all! Wouldn't this be her first kiss?

'_My name's Kish. Thanks for the kiss.'_

Ichigo's eyes widen at that memory and now she wanted to stop. Lucky for her, Kisshu backed away and the waitress entered the scene. Kisshu had to sit back at his chair and his hand was off Ichigo's.

"Here you go, miss," the waitress announced.

Ichigo nodded and thanked, "Thank you." The waitress smiled at her and walked away. All she delivered was the soup. Must have been the easiest thing to cook.

Feeling a bit guilty and apologizing, Ichigo looked up at Kisshu and he was staring out the window, a bit angry. The interesting part was that his face was red.

"Kisshu?"

He didn't look at her as he said, "Just eat your soup." He sounded so embarrassed that it made Ichigo put a smile on her face as she took a sip. It was actually pretty good. Maybe she should play a small trick on him.

"Kisshu!" This time, he looked at her. She put in a spoonful of soup into his mouth. He was taken back by this that he couldn't say or do anything besides turn red. "Is the soup good?" She removed the spoon from his mouth and every drop of it was gone. Kisshu couldn't speak so he nodded instead. She lightly smiled at him and she noticed a small difference.

"Kisshu, look!"

Fallowing her eyes, he looked outside and he saw the small difference, or maybe big difference. The rain stopped and the clouds cleared. The sun shined out from the clear skies and not too far away, both Kisshu and Ichigo saw a rainbow; a big and dark one.

"Beautiful, isn't it? I love rainbows," Ichigo said. She added, "I always thought that rainbows show a sign of hope or happiness at the end of a difficult road. After every rainy day, they always leave behind something beautiful for everyone to enjoy. What do you think?" Kisshu was completely speechless. His eyes just kept staring at the rainbow and at its beauty.

"I think you both should eat before you start making out." At the sound of the waitress's words, they both tensed up and turned really red. She put Kisshu's food in front of him and walked away.

"That annoying woman scared the life out of me," both Kisshu and Ichigo mumbled when she was gone. Noticing what the other said, they looked up at each other, a bit surprised to hear that. Seconds later, they just let out a small laugh.

"Well, let's eat!" Ichigo declared.

Kisshu nodded and said, "Great. I'm starv!"

"Kisshu…"

"Yeah?"

"Can we do this again sometime?"

"Anything for my girl, Ichigo."


	5. Mint Aizawa: The Second Member

**A/N: Hello my dear beloved fans!! First off, sorry I took so long. Usually chapters of this length I can finish earlier than I am now, but as I said, high school does that to you. Augh!**

**Inuyasha: I thought I told you no complaining.**

**Tsukiko: Sorry.**

**Inuyasha: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or any of the songs she uses in her stories. She would like to thank you for all of the lovely reviews you keep sending her and would like for you to keep at it.**

**Tsukiko: Also, for someone of you that want to help me pick names for my sequel, well Pudding and Taruto's son looks like he takes mostly from his mother but he has his father's looks, some of them. He can be caring, kind, and very energetic but he worries too much of Mizu since she's so shy and can be fragile at times. Kaguya had a long crush on him but she's not willing to be someone else that she's not. You can say that Kaguya acts mostly like a guy sometimes and barely cries. She doesn't even talk!**

**Oops, getting off track here. Sorry.**

**Inuyasha and Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!**

'_When one finds out, how will your relationship last?'_

Ch. 5: Mint Aizawa: The Second Member

"I have to what?!"

"Work here at the café."

"Why?!"

"Well you're a Mew Mew now and this place is our secret base. Not to mention that cafés like this are very popular to the female humans. You still have to find four of your members so this would be an excellent way to gather information. If you hear something about someone having sudden athletic abilities or any development of special talents, then that would probably be the angel we're working for."

Even though Ryou has a point on that, Ichigo still didn't like it. Why does she have to be a slave worker for a jerk like him?

After Ichigo and Kisshu's first date, Kisshu asked her where she was going to live since her parents are gone and probably her house too. She told him that she has been staying at the still in progress café since the day her parents died. He was upset that the fact that Ryou was living under the same roof as her, but she reassured him that he's nothing more than someone who's been taking care of her. He dropped the conversation but he was still pretty upset about it. He didn't want to upset Ichigo about it.

Few days later, Ichigo was actually seen at school with Kisshu in a more friendlier way than she did with him before. Also, they started dance lessons that day and since they have to do the tango, they were paired up and they did simple tricks like dipping and walking. The dance teacher said that she's going to put up auditions for a separate tango duet. Auditions were not happening until about the end of the week. Although it sounded interesting, Ichigo and Kisshu did not want to do a duet together by themselves. They weren't exactly excited to join the class anyway.

After classes, Ichigo was 'picked up' by Ryou and Keiichiro. Kisshu saw them taking her away and practically ran after them. The probable was that when they were near the highway, he lost them. He cursed under his breath for that.

Now Ichigo is in the uniform that Keiichiro gave her before and she was just told by Ryou that she's going to work at the café while Keiichiro was preparing the treats for the customers that are soon to be coming. Worst part is that Ichigo wasn't so thrilled about the job.

"Forget it, Ryou! I may have agreed to become a part of this 'saving the world' group, but I'm not going to be a slave worker for someone like you!" she told him. He didn't looked affected by that.

Instead he quickly added, "It pays 1000 yen an hour." That made her shut up. He also added, "You also get to have as much of the cakes you want for free after your hours." Ichigo froze completely.

_Ring, ring_

Ichigo turned towards the door and smiled as she greeted, "Welcome to the café!" Witness the power of money.

Instead of seeing a girl or a group of them, she saw Kisshu leaning on the open door and he was breathing hard. Ryou got a bit cautious as Ichigo stared in surprise.

"Kisshu? What are you doing here?"

He looked up at her, raising a brow and Ichigo saw how sweaty he looked. He must have been running fast and hard. "I'm here to save you. What else does it look like?" But his breath was cut short when he saw Ichigo and the outfit she's wearing.

She tilted her head to the right and asked, "Saved me? What are you talking about?" Kisshu took a few minutes before he spoke again. During those minutes, he started turning red. Ichigo flashed her hand in front of him and asked, "Hello!! Kisshu? You there?"

All he did was mumble, "You're cute, Ichigo." It was her turn to flare up.

She fiddled with her fingers and answered, "Thanks." Kisshu stood up straight and looked down at the ground in embarrassment. Talk about an awkward moment.

"Ichigo! No having scenes with your boyfriend on hours," Ryou told her. Her face got even redder at that. The word 'boyfriend' is true but still, every girl gets embarrassed of it.

Remembering that he's there, Kisshu asked, "Your Ryou, right? The one who owns the café?"

Ryou raised a brow and asked, "Ichigo talks about me? Wow, I should be flattered." Kisshu glared at him and Ichigo knew that look.

She went in front of him and said, "Now, now, Kisshu. Not here." She turned to Ryou and told him, "No customers are here so I'm taking my break." Before Ryou said anything, Ichigo pushed Kisshu outside and she went outside too.

"Ichigo, isn't that the guy who kidnapped you?" he asked her, a bit angry.

She answered, "Okay, first off, calm down and second, he didn't kidnapped me."

"So suddenly taking you into his car and driving off with you in the back seat is not considered kidnapping? Ichigo, I saw the whole thing. I was there."

"I was late for work, like really, really late so he decided to give me a ride."

"Honey, I can tell when you're lying to me. You should feel grateful that I bought that excuse of who they were." Ichigo tensed up at that.

"How could you-"

"I've known you for the past five years. I know everything about you from your grade scores to your agenda at home." As much as she should be angry at him and call him a stalker, she was too nervous for that. She was in trouble.

"Ahhh, well…."

"Miki! Where are you?!"

Right after that, something pounced on Ichigo; a light golden brown fluffy thing. Ichigo caught it in her arms and it started to lick her.

"Hey, stop! That tickles!" Ichigo let out, laughing.

Kisshu just stared as she said, "Now here's something interesting. I didn't know you were good with dogs, Ichigo. He's kind of cute, isn't he?" He petted his head and the Pomeranian dog stopped licking Ichigo.

"I didn't know you like animals," Ichigo told him.

"Seriously, what the hell kind of stories did you listen to?" he asked, dryly.

"Miki!"

The small dog jumped out of Ichigo's hands and ran to the direction of the voice. Both Kisshu and Ichigo fallowed the dog and saw it jumping and landing into someone's arms. The owner of those arms is a girl who looks no older than fourteen or thirteen and a half. She also looks like she could be about three inches shorter than Ichigo. From the looks of it, her pale skin was just radiant. Her dark blue hair was up in two buns that were on each side of her head and her light brown eyes looked up from the dog to the couple in front of the café.

"Please forgive him," she said. Her voice sounded like bird chimes as she gracefully approached them. Ichigo just stared at her in amazement as she also felt a warm feeling coming from her. That made her eyes widen even more.

Kisshu told her, "Don't worry. We forgive him. He didn't do anything wrong besides clean Ichigo's face."

The girl looked at Ichigo and said, "I-chi-go… What a beautiful name. It means 'strawberry', right? Here!" She went to her pocket and took out a white handkerchief. She presented it to Ichigo and said, "Please, use this to wipe your face and as a token of my apology."

Still amazed, Ichigo took the handkerchief and answered, "Thank you." She wiped her face with it and said, "Amazing. It's so soft."

The girl smiled and asked, "Is this café opened?" Being amazed from the handkerchief, Ichigo didn't really get what the girl just said. She looked at the girl weird and she repeated, "Is the café open, Ichigo-san? I could use a bite to eat."

"Oh! Yes, the café is open. I'll be with you as soon as I can, Miss…."

"Mint Aizawa," she answered. "My name is Mint Aizawa and please, don't call me 'miss'."

Ichigo smiled at her. "Then please enter, Aizawa-san. I will serve you soon."

"Okay." Mint went towards the door and entered it. Ichigo watched Mint's graceful movements but when she looked at Mint's face, Mint sneered at her. Ichigo was taken back by that.

'_Did that…that girl just sneered at me!'_ Ichigo thought, appalled by Mint's sudden behavior change.

"I better go," she heard, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Ichigo looked up at Kisshu in confusion and asked, "Go? But you just got here. At least stay for a bite to eat."

Kisshu smiled at her and gently kissed her forehead. Ichigo turned red from the feeling as he told her, "I love too, but my older brother is making me come home before dark. I swear sometimes I just want to let my fist slip just once on that guy." Ichigo giggled at Kisshu's comment. He turned back at her and put his hand on the top of her head. He reminded, "I'll see you tomorrow, though."

Ichigo smiled and said, "Right. Good night."

Kisshu gently touched her cheek and answered, "Good night, honey." He walked away and Ichigo only dreamily stared at the direction that he left. Having him as a boyfriend isn't really that bad after all. Why oh why didn't she dated him from the start?

"Ichigo!" She snapped out of her day dream and entered the café.

"Yes?" she asked.

Ryou scolded, "There's a customer here and she's waiting!"

"Right! Sorry!" Ichigo grabbed a menu and went to a table that Mint choose, her dog sitting across from her like a gentleman. Ichigo smiled and greeted, "Sorry for keeping you waiting. My name is Ichigo and I will be your server for this evening. Here's your menu and I'll be back to take your order."

"There's no need, thank you," Mint told her. She ordered, "I'll have some grey tea and a slice of fruit a la mode and Miki will just have milk but can he have it in a bowl?"

Ichigo nodded and said, "Alright then. I'll be right back."

When Ichigo turned around, Mint asked, "I have a question. Is he your friend? That boy that was with you?" Ichigo stopped and turned back to face her. Mint added, "He's pretty cute, don't you think?"

A vein popped onto Ichigo's head and she said, trying to calm down, "His name is Kisshu and he's my boyfriend, thank you very much."

"Ah, what a shame," she said.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's a shame that he's taken. I was starting to like him for being able to talk to me without hesitating or for me having to repeat myself. A lot of weird people have been doing that to me lately."

Two veins popped on her head; one for anger and one for jealously. Ichigo turned around and said, "Please excuse me, but I need to get your order."

"Of course, Ichigo-san. Please, take your time."

'_Why that…that…that little snobby, sarcastic, rude witch! If she wasn't a customer, I would have shown her a thing or two!'_ Ichigo thought, approaching the kitchen.

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"Kish!" a voice called. No answer. "Where are you, Kish?!"

"Here!" After he answered, Kish appeared in front of the devil prince's transcendent body and bowed. "Deep Blue-sama, I'm here."

Deep Blue smirked and said, "I've been watching over you for a while now, Kish. I've noticed that you made your appearance in front of an angel. Tell me. What do you know of her?"

Kish looked up at him, a grin on his face and he answered, "Her name is Ichigo Momomiya and she's so far the only angel that Prince Ryou has on his side. She did refuse him at first but she saved them from my music. She didn't seem to be affect at all by the music than angels are supposed to do. Her powers are truly unique but if she continues to stay on the angel's side, I have no choice but to destroy her along with the rest of the humans."

"You're fond of that angel, aren't you?" Deep Blue asked. Kish looked down and his grin was gone. His eyes looked empty as Deep Blue still had that smile on his face. He got up from his throne chair and walked towards Kish. With his hands, he lifted up Kish's face to make him look at him. Kish allowed him and Deep Blue looked like he was only two inches away from Kish's face. "Love is a terrible feeling, Kish. Once it grabs a hold of you, it starts tearing you apart, ever so slowly and painfully. Hatred is the only thing that will set you free. Free of love, free of life, and free of suffering. Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes…Deep Blue-sama."

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"Darn it!!" Ichigo yelled as she was running to her school. She overslept. "It's that jerk's fault! If he hadn't crushed my alarm clock, I would have been there already! Man, Kisshu is going to kill me!"

She did oversleep only because she didn't get up when the alarm clock told her too. Ryou was so upset about it that he crushed the alarm clock and went back to sleep. It amazed him that cats are supposed to have such good hearing but they are such lazy bones. When Ichigo finally got up, she couldn't find her alarm clock so she started to panic. She went to her cell phone and she was really late. She quickly changed, ate, and yelled at Ryou before she left the café. Ryou got a headache.

Now Ichigo is running out of the park to the bus stop in a white top that looked mostly red from afar since there were red lines going up and down all over it as a design. She also had on a short black pants and long black socks with black tennis shoes to match. Whoever said that she was late for school?

When she saw the bus stop in view, she saw Kisshu leaning on the bus stop pole. "Kisshu!" she called, waving. He looked towards her direction and he smiled.

"Hey, honey!" he greeted. Ichigo stopped running right in front of him and she leaned on her legs for help. "Hey, you okay?"

"Sorry, Kisshu. That jerk crushed my alarm clock so I couldn't get up in time! I hope I'm not too late," she apologized.

He told her, "Don't worry you're not. I actually just arrive here myself. I overslept too." He let out a giggle to show his embarrassment and Ichigo stared at him in response. She smiled and then giggled with him. "By any chance, are you free tonight?"

"Uh?"

"Well you see, tonight there's a show going on and I just thought that maybe you want to see it."

"A show? What kind of show?"

"You promise not to laugh if I told you?"

"I promise."

"Well…it's a ballet."

After that, there was silence and Kisshu is starting to get anxious. He looked up at Ichigo and she was still shocked to hear him say what it was. After that, she started laughing.

"You promised not to laugh!!" Kisshu yelled, angrily.

She tried to calm herself as she clenched her stomach. Kisshu was glaring at her with a vein pulsing on his head. She said, "Sorry, Kisshu. I just…hahahahaha!!" Another vein pulsed on his head. Seeing that he was angry and probably hurt, Ichigo took a few deep breathes and answered, "I love to go, Kisshu. I just never thought of you taking me to a place like that. I thought you would be the kind of guy who would take me to a wrestling match or something."

Kisshu lost his anger and stared at Ichigo with an anime look; his eyes the size as dots and his little smile about an inch big. Soon it was his turn to laugh. Seeing his great sense of humor, Ichigo started laughing again.

"As if!" he yelled at her, for a short moment after a laugh. "A wrestling match? Come on!"

Ichigo stopped laughing and asked, a vein pulsing on her head, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kisshu calmed down, after seeing her anger and answer, "Well first off, if you like wrestling, I would take you but I know that wrestling isn't one of your best interests. Good boyfriends are supposed to be taking their girlfriends to places that they both will enjoy or their girlfriend will most defiantly will enjoy."

"You're taking this boyfriend thing seriously. That's a shocker."

"Now that's harsh," Kisshu whined. His hand went to her hair and he picked up a few strands. Ichigo's heart started pounding at his light touch. "I do take things seriously when they concern matters with you. You're the most important girl in my life and there is no one who could ever take your place." Ichigo's face turned into a ripe strawberry at his words. Seeing the color of her face only made Kisshu smile.

He put the strands behind her ear and started scratching behind it. She closed her eyes and purred. It made Kisshu let out a chuckle.

"You're just like a cat, honey," he told her. She smiled at the bliss feeling and then he stopped. She didn't want him too. His hand contracted from her face and she looked at him in confusion. He raised a brow and asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you have cat ears and a tail?"

"Uh?"

Ichigo touched the side of her face and she couldn't feel her real human ears. She went up higher and she felt something warm and soft. She went all the way to the tip of it and then tried to feel the shape of these new objects on her head. Remembering Kisshu asking about the tail, she looked behind her and saw a long fuzzy black tail connected to her.

'_You have got to be kidding!!'_ she thought in her head. _'Ears? A Tail? I have ears and a tail? And in front of Kisshu? What do I do?'_

"I-chi-go!"

Afraid, she looked back at Kisshu and he asked, "Mind telling me what's going on here?" Oh crap.

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_Click_

_Click_

_Click_

_Click_

_Click_

_Click_

"Did you find anything yet?"

"Almost. I'm checking durable DNA that the Red Data animals might have infused with. So far, nothing."

"I see."

_Beep, Beep_

"Found one!"

"Who is it?"

"A person who goes by the name of 'Mint Aizawa'."

"Wait! Wasn't that girl here yesterday?"

"I'm back…"

Being distracted by Ichigo's arrival, both Ryou and Keiichiro left the basement and went back upstairs to see what looks like a gloomy human sitting on a chair and leaning on a table.

"Hello, Ichigo-san," Keiichiro greeted.

Ryou asked, "What's wrong? You're never this gloomy before."

"I think me and my boyfriend broke up. It's probably for the best."

"Uh? Why's that?" Keiichiro asked.

She answered, "You two should know. He found out." Both Ryou and Keiichiro were surprised to hear that.

"Idiot! You didn't tell him about what's going on, did you?" Ryou asked, angrily.

Still gloomy, she answered, "I didn't tell him on purpose. Cat ears and a tail appeared and then I had to come clean. He left without a word right afterwards so since there was no need to stay there, I just came right back."

"So they really did come out," Ryou notified. Hearing that made Ichigo get out of her gloomy attitude and listened to what Ryou had to say, still leaning on the table. "Should have told you sooner, but your ears and your tail would have come out sooner or later." That made her snap.

"You knew?!" she yelled, sitting up straight.

He answered, "Yep."

_Slap_

Things were silent after that. Keiichiro stared with wide eyes. Ryou's eyes were wide too, not by the slap but by the face Ichigo had. She was staring at him with an angry face and tears were starting to leak out of her eyes. She looked down at the ground to hide her face.

"Why didn't you tell me, you bastard?!" she asked. Surprised by her swearing, both Keiichiro and Ryou continued to stare in surprise. "I hate you!!" Then she ran to the stairs.

"Ichigo-san!"

She didn't listen. She ran all the way to her room and locked the door behind her. She didn't make it to her bed to cry. She leaned on the door and then slide down to the ground. She brought her legs closer to her body and then she started sobbing out her tears.

'_Why should I cry?'_ she wondered in her tears. _'It's probably for the best anyway. After all if he kept hanging around with me, he could probably get killed like my parents did or like that time when I first had to fight a kirema anima. But not being with him hurts. Damn it all!'_

She cried for a little bit longer before she looked up at the window in front of her. She stood up and walked towards it. She opened it and peered outside. She's on the second story but if she really is a cat, then she should be fine. She stepped out of the window and sat on the window sill. In one push, she jumped off. Seconds later, she landed gracefully on the ground with her feet. Once she landed, she ran.

When she was little, running was her only option to escape it all. The thrill of trying to outrun the other, the feeling of the pain in your legs when you ran to much, the pain of your lungs begging for more air, and the feeling of running away from everything. That is what she likes about running and that is why she's running now.

Her feet kept going even though they wanted to stop. In her sandals, she could feel the blisters forming on her feet and the sweat dripping down her face and her whole body. When she finally stopped, she leaned on her knees to hold herself up. She looked up after a few deep breathing and she saw it; the old abandon looking house that is right next door to her old home. She didn't pay attention to her old home. She paid more attention to the house next door. Covered with growing vines, surrounded by weeds, and probably dusty inside; this old house brought Ichigo comfort.

Her feet controlling her again, she started to walk towards the old house. Thinking that the door is locked, she went to one of the windows. It didn't open so well so she had to put some force into it. Once it was open all the way, she entered the house and closed the window behind her. She looked around and it is dark. Thanks to the light from outside, she could still see where she's going. Ignoring about the big hints or clues, she walked towards the living room and then up the stairs. What she missed was that things looked organized and clean.

She went up the stairs and went into a small room on the right side of the stairs. When she walked in, she closed the door behind her. The room looked neat and organized like down stairs and there's a bed; a bed that hasn't changed since the last time she saw it eight years ago. That was actually what she walked too. She walked towards the bed and laid down on it.

As she clenched the covers, she thought, _'It's strange. I can still smell his scent on this cover and when I'm touching it, it feels like he's holding me right now.'_ She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to go through her memories of this room. In that memory, she and a young boy no older than her were inside this very room and she was crying.

'_Koneko-chan, what's wrong?'_

'_It's…it's…this guy. I liked him and I told him. Then he just called me stupid and pushed me.'_

'_A guy? What guy?'_

'_That popular kid in class.'_

'_Ah, him.'_

He looked so angry at that and he looked jealous. What made him forget about his anger was the continuing sound of Ichigo's crying.

'_And…And then, I came here. I wanted to see you.'_

He looked so touched by that. To try and calm her down, he was red but he grabbed Ichigo's face and he licked every tear that she shed. It made her look at him in surprise.

'_I really…like you, koneko-chan. I've liked you since the day I met you.'_

'_You like me? You really do?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_Thank you and you know what! I actually like you better than him. I was just scared that you didn't want to like me since we're friends.'_

'_Well then…would…you…be my g-girlfriend?'_

'_Yes!'_

'_Really?!'_

'_Yes! Then if this lasts long enough, maybe we both can get married.'_

'_Married?! That's a little far don't you think?'_

'_Is there something wrong?'_

'_No! It was just sudden, is all.'_

'_Well if we're ever separated, promise me that we'll be together in the future. That way, we can be married.'_

'_Okay, koneko-chan! It's a promise!'_

After the memory passed, Ichigo looked at her left pinky finger and stared at it as more tears began to fall. She closed her hand and brought it close to her heart.

'_First him and then Kisshu. How many heartbreaks do I have to go through for god to be satisfied. If I have to serve under a selfish guy like him, then to hell with being an angel! Maybe that will teach Ryou a thing or two.'_

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

'_Now what?!'_

Ichigo went to her phone and didn't bother to check the caller ID. She opened the phone and placed it on her ear.

"Hello?" she answered, in a horsy voice.

"Ichigo, get your butt back into the café!"

"Ryou, give me one reason why I shouldn't just hang up the phone right now."

"Because we may have found your next partner."

Ichigo quickly sat up at the sound of that. She paid more close attention but tried not to sound desperate.

"Oh?"

"What do you want, uh? An apology?"

"That could be a start."

"Fine! Sorry I didn't tell you."

"That's good enough since I know that you're not going to say it in a more sweeter way."

Ichigo heard Ryou mumble, "Stupid cat angel!' But she didn't tell him, even though it angered her from the other end.

"Anyway, can you come back to the café, now? You have to get ready."

"Ready for what? How to persuade someone into joining the 'saving the world' group?"

"Very funny. No. Your partner is in a show tonight at seven so you need to look nice for the part."

"What show?"

"It's a ballet."

"Forget it! I'm not going."

"What?! Why not?!"

"Because Kisshu was going to go with me to see it until my stupid ears came up and I had to explain things to him."

"You didn't have to tell him! It only puts him in more danger."

"It would have put him in more danger if I stayed with him! Maybe him and I breaking up was probably the best thing to do. I already lost my parents, Ryou! You should know how that feels. I don't want to lose another person important to me."

"I understand perfectly of that… Look, just go to the stupid show and get your partner. The sooner you get her to join, the faster you'll be done with this and normal."

"Normal?"

"Yep! Once you finish defeating the agents and Deep Blue, your genes will be of no further use to you and they will simply disappear. Once this is all over, you'll be a human girl once again."

That just made Ichigo's day.

"Okay, I'll go!"

"That's a good kitty. Now get over here!"

After that, the line went dead and Ichigo hang up her phone. What Ryou called her would have made her angry, but she's not. Instead she's overjoyed.

She was so happy that she spoke out loud, "If I hurry up and find my other members, then I can be normal again when I win the battle. That means that Kisshu and I can get back together and we can have no more problems with my stupid ears!" She stood up but looked back down at the bed. She sat on her knees and leaned on the bed. She whispered, "I miss you, Dren-kun." She sat up and walked out of the room.

As she walked out of the house, she didn't realize that someone was watching her during her little crying and her phone call. He even saw her call out to someone named 'Dren-ken'. When she was out of the house, he leaned on the rail from the second floor and stared at the door she left from.

"I missed you too, koneko-chan."

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"Maybe it would have been better if I didn't come," Ichigo said out loud. When she saw the many people in front of the theater, she felt so out of place since everyone was dressed so nicely. All she was wearing was a red sleeveless dress, a red ribbon, ruby earrings, and red hell shoes. She felt so out of place.

After she said good-bye to the house, she went back to the café and they told her about what she has to do. First thing is to go to the show, find out who has a mark on their body, and then try to convince her into joining. Even if it means kidnapping her and tying her to a chair. She didn't think _that _strategy was going to work but Ryou already packed her purse with not only a few dollars but also some rope. If anyone saw her with that, she was going to get thrown out. She could already imagine herself in court.

As she walked to the doors, she saw that it was still closed so she decided to go to the ticket booth.

'_How was I going to go in anyway?'_ she wondered, walking over there. _'I highly doubt I'll get a ticket at this last minute thing and even if I do, I won't have a good seat to see close enough. My eye sight isn't that good!'_

When she was close to the ticket booth, she looked up and then gasped. Leaning on the side of the ticket booth was no one other than her own boyfriend, Kisshu. He was leaning on the side looking really nice that made Ichigo's heart beat really fast. When she gasped, he noticed her too.

He saw how red she looked so he said, "Calm down there, honey. Don't want your ears to pop out here in the open, now do you?" Hearing him calling her 'honey' again, made Ichigo start having tears come into her eyes. She ran to him and then hugged him.

"Kisshu!"

Getting a bit nervous from her crying, he asked, "Hey, what's wrong, honey?"

She tightened her hold on him and answered, "I thought I wasn't going to hear you call me that again."

He raised a brow to that. "First you didn't like it when I called you that and now, you like it? Jeeze, Ichigo make up your mind!"

Ichigo loosen her hold on him and looked up at his face. He was smiling at her like how he used to. She asked, "Why are you here?"

"I was waiting for you, of course. You think I want to see this thing by myself?"

"But I thought, you didn't want to see me anymore."

"Well that was a stupid thought." He gently touched her face and then kissed her forehead. Her heart beat even faster at his touch and the warmth of his kiss. "No matter what you are, you're still Ichigo and that is the Ichigo I love."

_Pound, pound, pound_

_Pound, pound, pound_

"Ahh, Ichigo, your ears and your tail." She looked behind her and her tail was sticking out. She panicked but what surprised her was that Kisshu turned her around and made her lean on the wall. He even had his hands over her ears. He looked around and said out loud, "I hope no one saw that." Ichigo continued to stare at him in total surprise and happiness.

She placed her hands over his that were on his head and he looked down at her in reaction of her touch. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Kisshu. But are you sure about this?"

"Sure about what?"

"Well my ears and my tail keep popping out."

"And?"

"I can land gracefully on the ground after jumping from a two story building."

"And?"

"I have to fight terrible demons that could easily kill you."

"And?"

"An agent might get a hold of you and use you as a hostage."

"You know I can fight back. What's your next reason?"

"I have a terrible craving for fish."

"You always had since I met you."

"I might end up cancelling on dates if I am needed to save Tokyo."

"We can always reschedule." Before she could try to find more reasons, he smiled at her and then told her, "No offense but it sounds like you want to stop seeing me."

"N-No! I-It's not that!" she mumbled, red as cherry. "It's just that, I…don't…want to see you get hurt. That one time at the school's court, I nearly got you crushed."

"It's okay. No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you and you can count on it that I will be the one who will catch you when you fall."

After that, she was completely speechless. He saw that she couldn't speak so he tried to lean in again. Her heart is pounding a hundred times faster than before. This time, she didn't let that one kiss bother her. She wanted to kiss him because he's too good to pass up. She closed her eyes and waited as he got closer.

"Time to come in!!"

That one sound made both Kisshu and Ichigo flinch back away from each other, completely red. Each one of them had to breath to try and calm their beating hearts. Ichigo had to hold her ears down and hide her tail with the wall. Good thing that the wall is black.

After a bit, Kisshu finally asked, "Well, shall we go in?"

Calming down a bit, Ichigo answered, "But I don't have a ticket."

"Idiot! Don't you remember I asked you to this place here first? I have your ticket." Ears and tail gone, finally, Ichigo stared at Kisshu in disbelief.

"What?"

"I have your ticket. Do I have to write it down for you?"

"No, it's just that how did you get them? Aren't they expensive?"

"Yeah, they were but I ran into your friend from the café and she asked me if I wanted to come. She had two extra tickets." Now she really is shock this time.

"She?"

"Yeah, that girl with the dog. Mint, right?"

She got really jealous that time. "First off, she's not my friend!! Second, how did you run into her?! And third, how long were you two talking for her to give you tickets?!"

Apparently not affected by the flames burning around her, he simply answered, "We ran into each other earlier today. Actually, I almost ran over her dog. We said hi to each other and I was ready to leave because I told her I was late. She stopped me with a date idea. She told me that she had two extra tickets to the ballet and that she thought we would like to see it. I was debating on whether you would like it or not and then she told me that you would so I accept her gift." Ichigo was quiet.

'_There is no way __that__ girl would be so nice as to just hand over ballet tickets like that. She's trying to steal Kisshu away from me! That has to be it! Wait! Tickets here are so expensive that you wouldn't just give them away. So that means that Mint has some connection to this show. She wouldn't happen to be in this show now would you?! And if Ryou told me that one of the girls in the ballet is a member than that means that…Mint is a member?!'_

"Ahhh, Ichigo. You still there? Hellllooo!" Kisshu asked a still in thinking Ichigo. Ignoring him started ticking him off a bit. He went over to her and then slightly kissed her cheek. She came back to earth from that feeling and she came back red as a cherry. She looked at him and he asked, "You want to go in or not?"

Remembering that she's also here on a date, she made it look like nothing is wrong and smiled as she answered, "Sure! Let's go in." After that, Kisshu grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the entrance. Up above the sky is the full moon, shining it's radiance on everything below it. The light of it is so bright and great that it's almost enough to replace the sun.

Once inside, both Kisshu and Ichigo apparently have very good seats. About three rows from the stage and to Ichigo, that was just perfect for her to find the second member but it only made her angrier when she remembered that Kisshu got these tickets from Mint. She practically hasn't let go of Kisshu's hand since he grabbed it.

The show should at least be about three hours and during the first fifteen minutes of it, Mint hasn't shown up. But during that time, Kisshu felt a pain in his chest and Ichigo noticed it when he squeezed her hand a bit tight.

"Kisshu? Are you okay?" she whispered.

Trying to look fine, he looked up at her and smiled. "I'm okay, honey but I think I have to use the bathroom."

"Oh, o-okay." After that, Kisshu got up and went for the bathroom or at least that was where he said he was heading.

He actually trailed off. He ended up going almost backstage and he was leaning on the wall of the hallway for support. From the window, a big cloud was starting to cover the moon, hiding it's glowing rays.

_Bark_

_Bark_

_Bark_

Weakly, Kisshu looked up and he saw Mint's dog barking at him and he looked pretty fierce with baring his teeth at him. A throbbing pain hit Kisshu's head and he gripped his head in pain. Miki kept on barking and the moon was nearly covered.

"Damn…dog…" he mumbled. When Kisshu looked up, his eyes were blood red and he had longer canines. Miki saw that and he had his tail between his legs and he whimpered with his ears flattening on his head. The moon became completely covered and a black mist started to swirl around him.

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'_Kisshu's been gone a while now,'_ Ichigo noticed as she looked back up at the aisle. Still no Kisshu. She looked back up at the stage and leaned on her hand as she thought, _'I hope he's okay. He looked kind of pale.'_ When Ichigo looked back at the stage, Mint finally came out and Ichigo had her eyes ready to fall out their sockets. _'So is in this ballet! Then that means that she's also the second member! Oh crap!'_ But when Mint started dancing, Ichigo lost her anger and her mind became a blank.

'_Wow! She's…She's… She's beautiful. Those jumps… It's almost like she has springs in her legs. She's really good,'_ Ichigo thought, amazed. As Ichigo stared at Mint, she tried to look for the mark. So far nothing. When she was done, Mint simply bowed and then sprang off the stage. Even her exiting was gorgeous.

'_Well if she is a member, I didn't see any marks. But…'_ Ichigo placed a hand over he chest and thought, _'This is the second time I felt that warm feeling. First was when she and I first met at the café and now here. She has to be a member for that to put an effect on me.'_ After she made up her mind, she picked up her bag and walked out. _'There's only one way to find out!'_

Once outside of the doors, Ichigo tried to get in backstage as much as she could. She had just an easier time as Kisshu did. Where's the security around here? Finally backstage, she looked at the many rows of rooms that had different female names. Must be the other dancer's dressing rooms.

She mumbled to herself, "Okay! If I can just find her dressing room, then maybe I can take a peek while she's changing and I can find the mark that way." Finally, she found a room that had the girl's name on it, from Ichigo's memory.

_Mint Aizawa_

'_Perfect!'_ Quietly and low, Ichigo turned the knob and opened the door just a little bit to get a good view. Sadly, there are clothes, shoes, make up, hair pieces, and hangers but no human girl. _'That's weird. Where is she?'_

"Hey!"

Surprised, Ichigo turned around to see Mint standing right behind her, still in her ballerina outfit; a blue tutu that had the design of a Medieval commoner dress with red lacing. When Ichigo looked at her, Mint had her arms was cross. However, she had on a grin and said, "Okay, I knew you were weird at first but I didn't expect you to be a stalker."

'_I've been caught!'_ Since she knew that there is no use hiding, Ichigo stood up straight and said, "Y-You were such a beautiful dancer, Mint-san. I was completely blown away." Maybe flattery could get her out of this.

"What are you doing here, psycho?" Okay maybe not.

"W-Well then, since you are being such a fast one here. Have you experience any…difference in your movements or have seen any strange marks on your body?" Straight for the punch line; nice.

"Miki! Can you please bark this weirdo out of my sight?!" But not enough.

Surprised, Mint looked around but still no dog. Ichigo noticed that too and looked at both up the hallway and down the hallway.

"Miki? Where are you?!" Mint called again. Still nothing.

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

Surprised to hear that, both Ichigo and Mint looked at the source of the beeping and it was coming from Ichigo's bag. She opened it up and her blotch is beeping. Fear started to overwhelm Ichigo's body.

'_Can't be! An agent?!'_

"Hi, hi, ladies!" Both Ichigo and Mint looked up the hallway and at the end stood Kish and a knocked out Miki in what looks like a blue bubble or barrier.

"Miki!" Mint called, scared for her dog.

Ichigo asked, "Kish! What are you doing with Miki?!"

Kish had on a blank face and asked, "Oh you know this dog? Well this dog was getting on my nerves with barking so damn loud and annoying that I accidently let my fangs slip. Don't worry he's alive, but he won't be for much longer."

Terrified now, Mint yelled, "Give him back! Give Miki back!"

"Sure, sure sweetie, I'll give him back on one condition." Kish offered his hand towards their direction and he said, "One of you has to take his place."

"What?" Ichigo asked him.

He smirked and explained, "It's very simple, koneko-chan. If you two want him back alive then one of you have to give up your life for him. I need my night snack and I prefer humans instead of animals." Ichigo growled at him for that.

"I'll do it." Ichigo looked at Mint in surprise and Kish's grin widen in satisfaction.

"Don't do it, Mint!" Ichigo told her.

Mint yelled, "I rather give up my life for Miki then watch him die! Would you have done the same if someone you care about is in danger?" Ichigo practically shut up at that. She would.

Seeing that Ichigo had nothing to say, Mint turned towards Kish and started walking towards him. Ichigo yelled, "This is still wrong!"

Kish smiled at her and said, "Don't worry, koneko-chan. If you want, I can still go after you once I'm done. I just need something to eat. I'm hungry."

"Shut up, Kish! And don't call me 'koneko-chan'!"

Mint stopped walking when she was right in front of Kish and she asked, "You promise that you'll let Miki go?"

"Agent's don't break promises when it comes to what they need to survive," he answered.

Mint nodded with a brave face and told him, "Then eat me." Kish tossed the bubble with Miki inside to Ichigo and she caught him.

"No problem. It's a good thing you're pretty. I don't like going after ugly people."

Ichigo looked at the unconscious Miki inside the barrier and whispered, "Miki! Miki! Wake up! Mint's in trouble! Your master is in trouble!" Miki didn't get up. Ichigo decided to observe his body then. Kish said that his fangs slipped so that means that he bite him than why isn't Miki bleeding or have any bite marks? Because Kish didn't bite him because… this isn't the real Miki.

"Kish! Let Mint go right now!! This isn't Miki!"

"What?" Mint asked turning around. But before Mint could go over to check for herself, Kish was right at her neck already.

"Too late." Before he could bite her though, his hand touched her shoulder but the moment they did, they back away from each other because of a very painful pain that hit their bodies like lightening. "Oww!"

"Oww!" Mint yelped, backing away from Kish. She asked, "W-What just happened?"

'_If she flinched back like that, then that means she's an angel!'_ Ichigo concluded from watching. "Mint! You can transform just like me!"

She asked, "W-What are you talking about?"

Kish grunted but he felt a slight pain in his chest. He looked up at the moon to see that it was starting to come out of the cloud's cover. _'Damn it! Of all the times!'_

Kish smirked again and said, "Congratulations on saving your friend, koneko-chan." That made both Ichigo and Mint looks at him as he stood up straight. "Now let's see if you can save your friend's dog. Just go outside and check on him. I'm sure he'll be very pleased to meet you." Right after that, he disappeared when a black mist swallowed him up.

Ichigo yelled, "Get back here!" But it was too late.

Forgetting him and more worried about her dog, Mint started running outside. "Miki!"

"Wait! Mint!" Ichigo yelled, but she was beyond listening to her. Ichigo fallowed Mint to the outside. Once outside, Mint was looking everywhere for her little dog.

"Miki! Miki! Come out! Miki! Where are you?" she called.

Ichigo came outside and said, "Mint, please come inside! It's too dangerous for you. I'll go look for Miki and come right back with him."

Mint turned around towards Ichigo with an angry face and asked, "Why should I listen to you, anyway?! Ever since I met you, weird things have been happening to me! Who was that guy anyway?! Why did he want to eat one of us? Why did he kidnap Miki?" Ichigo couldn't answer any of those questions because a big dark figure appeared right behind Mint.

"Mint! Look out!" she yelled, pushing Mint out of the way of the big, razor sharp claws of a really big, hideous beast.

They both landed on the ground and looked up to see that big beast. It could at least be about ten feet tall with teeth as sharp as knives and claws are razor sharp as they stick out of his paws. His angry blue eyes were looking right at them with his red and white fur sticking up like needles. He bared his white teeth at them and let out a roar.

"What's that?!" Mint asked, terrified of beast.

'_Kish said to see Miki outside and that he would be happy to see us. Wait! He couldn't have…'_

"Mint!" Ichigo called. Mint looked at her as she continued, "I'm sorry but I'm afraid that Miki is gone."

"What? What are you saying?"

"Miki's gone, Mint and his soul is right in front of us."

"What?" Mint looked back at the monster and mumbled, "T-This thing… is Miki?"

"Yes, but he's gone."

"What do you mean?"

"That agent from earlier turned Miki into a kirema anima and I have to destroy it." Before Mint could say anything, Ichigo yelled, "Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!" A pinky light engulfed Ichigo and changed her into her mew angel form. Mint stared in surprise of how Ichigo just changed.

Ichigo yelled, "Miki! Listen to me! I'm going to help you, okay?! Strawberry Bell!" Ichigo's weapon appeared in front of her and she grabbed it.

"No!" Mint yelled. Ichigo looked back at her as she yelled, "Please don't hurt him! Please!"

Ichigo bit her lip at this and then smiled as best as she could to her. "I'm sorry, Mint. I wish I could save him, but I can't save the dead." Mint's eyes widen in pure terror and Ichigo put her attention back to the demon.

'_The next time I see Kish, I'm going to purify his sorry ass!'_

The kirema anima strike at Ichigo and she jumped away carrying Mint so that she wouldn't get hurt. She landed on the ground and put Mint down.

"Stay here, okay?" She didn't wait for an answer. She jumped away from Mint before the kirema anima could strike at that place. At other places that Ichigo landed, however, the kirema anima strike there. Ichigo kept dodge as much as she could.

Finally she had enough. She stopped and readied her Strawberry Bell. "This is it, demon! For your sins, I will purify thee – Nya!" The kirema anima roared at her again and Ichigo yelled, "Ribbon Str-"

"No!!"

Ichigo didn't finish. The kirema anima took that chance to strike at her again and this time, he got her. His mighty paw smashed her straight into a tree and pressed her body against it. It was crushing her.

"Miki! Please stop it!" Mint yelled, getting up. She ran up to Miki and Ichigo looked up at her.

"Mint…" she softly called. Miki strengthen his crushing on her and she grasped for air. She breathed out, "Run!"

Mint had tears in her eyes and she yelled at Miki, "Please stop this, Miki! This isn't what you want to do! I know that! Please…come back!" Miki only growled more at her. He used his other paw and hit her back, ripping her clothing in the process. She didn't bleed or anything but her back is now exposed to both Ichigo and Miki. When Ichigo looked at her back, she saw two marks on her back that looks like wings.

'_So she really is a member!'_

"Mint! Listen to me!! You can transform! Just like me! You can do it! You're one of my kind! Please!" Ichigo yelled at Mint as best as she could.

Mint was wide eyed at that but she mumbled, "There's… no way…I can't…"

"But you have too!"

"I can't!" she screamed. "I can't do it! I don't want to do it!" Mint held her head in her hands and Miki opened his mouth. Inside his mouth a blue blast was forming. Mint had her eyes closed so she didn't see Miki creating the blast, but Ichigo did.

"Mint! Get away!"

Mint looked back up but by the time she did, the blast was already ready. The blast was set off and it was aiming straight for Mint.

"Mint!!"

When Ichigo saw the blast exploding where Mint sat, her whole body started shaking. She just saw death at work on her second partner.

"I'm gone for one minute and you're getting crush by a monster." That voice!

Ichigo looked up at one of trees and she saw Kisshu holding Mint in his arms. It made her a bit angry but she was surprised to see him.

"Kisshu!"

Mint looked up at him and turned red. She couldn't say anything, especially when Kisshu put her down on her feet and told her, "Losing someone important is hard but you can't let it control your life or your emotions like that! You have a chance of helping your dog! The least you could do is help him!" Mint continued to just stare and Ichigo turned a bit red, then he saw the kirema anima forming another blast.

"Kisshu! Mint! Look out!" she yelled. By the time they looked back at them, the blast was sent right at them.

Automatically, Mint hugged on Kisshu and yelled, "Noooo!! Stop it!" Right then and there did a blue light shine from Mint's back and it formed around her. Faintly, Ichigo heard, "Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!" The blast was disintegrated when Mint called out those words. The blue light shined so brightly that it made Ichigo closed her eyes and the kirema anima to crunch his eyes to block out that light.

Almost exactly like Ichigo, Mint felt her body going through many changes in the transformation as she also felt the wonderful feeling of warmth and bliss. In her ears, she could hear the faint sound of a harp and a violin playing. At the end of the transformation, Kisshu stared in total surprise of a light blue glowing Mint.

Mint now has neon blue eyes and hair. Her hair was still up in two balls on the top of her head and she still has human ears. On her neck is a light blue collar with dark blue trimmings with a golden blotch, similar to that of Ichigo's. Her outfit was a light blue strapless top with a dark blue trimming, like her collar. She also had on a light blue skirt that was about six inches above her ankles and looks very open. Hanging from her waist to the end of the skirt is a light blue ribbon that hangs in the middle of the skirt. Her arms had on what looks like blue arm bracelets and she has on light blue gloves. Her shoes are dark blue ballet shoes. Behind her is a dark blue bird's tail and the interesting thing about her is that she also has a halo above her head and white shoulder length angel wings. With her angel wings are also dark blue bird wings. Mint has two pair of wings?

Mint stared at her costume and then her hands in total surprise. She wasn't on Kisshu anymore and that didn't upset Ichigo at all. "No way," she breathed out.

Kisshu had on a half smile and said, "I knew you can do it, but if you don't mind…" Kisshu charged at the kirema anima and kicked him hard. "Get off of her!!" The kirema anima let Ichigo go and she landed on her knees, coughing. Kisshu went to her side and asked, "You okay?"

"Fine now. Why are you here?" she asked.

Kisshu looked back at the kirema anima and answered, "I'll explain later. I'll let you expects handle this." He walked behind Ichigo and watched as Ichigo nodded.

"Strawberry Bell!" Her weapon appeared in front of her and she yelled at Mint, "Mint! Hurry! The words from your heart will come to you! Just say it!"

Still nervous and freaked, she mumbled, "But I don't…"

"You transformed, didn't you?" Mint looked at Kisshu and he was staring at her serious. She turned red but got serious and nodded.

"Mint…Arrow!" Right after she called for her weapon, a light blue bow appeared in front of her and she took it. Ichigo smiled but she lost it when Mint started singing. Her singing however sounded more like opera. She sang a few sopranos and even higher notes that weren't even possible to reach. Kisshu wince a bit of hearing that but the one more affected was the kirema anima. When Mint sang a few more seconds, she stood on her toes and spin. She stopped and aimed the bow at the kirema anima. "Ribbon Mint Echo!!" she yelled, in clear Japanese. An arrow formed on the bow and Mint launched it at the kirema anima.

Didn't want to be left out, Ichigo aimed her weapon at the kirema anima and yelled, "Ribbon Strawberry Check!" Both of their attacks went straight for the kirema anima and it hit him, right at the mark. Kisshu just stared in surprise. Since their attacks, clearly hit the kirema anima and they heard a short wail from him, Ichigo said, "It's over, Mint. Miki's finally at peace."

Sad, Mint nodded. Seeing her like that, Kisshu went to her and placed his hand on her shoulder as a sign of comfort. Ichigo let it be for now since Mint needed it. Mint looked up at Kisshu and placed her hand on top of Kisshu's.

_Bark_

_Bark_

_Bark_

Hearing the familiar bark, all three of them looked back at where the kirema anima was and they saw a small Pomeranian dog and what looks like a flouting jellyfish.

"Mi…ki?" Mint asked. The dog let out another bark and run towards her. With tears leaking out, Mint ran to her dog and picked him up. She hugged him tightly in her arms and closed to her chest. "Miki!! Thank goodness you're okay!" Ichigo smiled at the cute happy scene in front of her as Kisshu went up to her and petted her head.

"You look so cute like this, honey. My own little cat," he told her in a cute voice

Ichigo got red from what he said but then remembered that he's _here_. She yelled, "Hold on! How did you know I'll be here and what are you doing here?!"

Kisshu blinked a couple of times before he answered. Getting a bit interested, Mint listened in. "When I got back to the seats, you were gone so I went looking for you. You could have been in the ladies' room for all I know but, I took the chance that maybe you were looking for your second partner."

"How did you know that I was looking for a partner?"

"Why else would you be here? After how I acted this morning, I was pretty sure that you wouldn't come because you probably thought that I couldn't accept the fact that you're an angel. I will admit that hearing that you're an angel that is supposed to go up against terrible danger made me upset, but I decided on something." He took her hand and gently kissed it. She turned red and he told her, "Even if you say no, I'm going to help you as best as I could. I can't let my girlfriend go off fighting some mutated freaks and I can't do a thing about it if she gets hurt. I'll protect you, Ichigo." Hearing that made Ichigo's heart beat a hundred times faster and the color red, decorated her cheeks even more.

"Excuse me!" Both Ichigo and Kisshu looked up at Mint and she looked embarrassed. Ichigo was ready to hiss at her for ruining the moment. Mint looked back up at them and said, "Thank you for helping me save Miki. You have no idea how much this dog means to me."

Ichigo lost her hiss and smiled. "No need to thank me. Besides we're partners, right? I think we'll make a great team." Ichigo reached out her hand for Mint to shake it and Mint was going for it. But she slapped it away. That confused Ichigo.

"I want to thank you but that doesn't mean I want anything to do with you," Mint told her. Ichigo was really taken back by that.

Then Mint turned her face to look at Kisshu. "Uh, Kisshu?" she called.

"Hmm?"

Mint went closer to him and stood on her toes. She lightly kissed his cheek and Ichigo got angry real fast. When Mint broke her little kiss, she said, "Thank you for helping me transformed. I don't think I would have saved Miki without your help." After that, she smiled and hugged him his arm. "Thank you!" Ichigo got angry.

"Hey! Let go of my boyfriend!"

"No need to get angry. I'm just showing my appreciation."

"Well you have a crappy way of showing it!"

"An angel shouldn't swear, my unintelligent friend."

"Crap isn't swearing and I'm actually really smart thank you very much!"

"Well what's your highest grade? A 76?"

Mint mocked Ichigo and Ichigo yelled at Mint. Kisshu was just watching and laughing at the little argument like it was some comedy show. Two people were watching the show, too. One of them was Ryou.

Ryou, in his angel form, held the jellyfish in a white barrier in one hand and he smiled at the scene. He said to himself, "Good job, Ichigo Momomiya on getting your first partner." He looked down at the laughing Kisshu and mumbled, "What exactly are you? A helper or an enemy?"

The second person who was watching was an unknown person. That person watched the whole thing; the cries, the transformation, the battles, and the encouragement. That person only watched and softly said, "So _those_ are angels…"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_Yawn_

"You tired, honey?" Kisshu asked. Ichigo leaned on her boyfriend's shoulder and tried her best of keeping her eyes open.

"I just fought a kirema anima and I found a snob of a partner who used up most of my energy. I am really tired right now," she answered.

He smiled at her and told her, "Then get some sleep, okay? You had a long night."

She nodded and answered, "Yes a really long night."

After Mint and Ichigo had their little fight thing, they decided to call it a night. Not wanting too, Ichigo told her that she should go to the café tomorrow so that she could get some information on what's going on. She said that she'll go as long as Kisshu's there. Ichigo was so ready to just kill Mint but Kisshu calmed her down. How could he be so calm when it's obvious that Mint likes him and is trying to steal him away from Ichigo? But yet again, he's not interested.

Since they already missed the rest of the show, both Ichigo and Kisshu decided to just have a nice walk in the park. Sure it sounded unsafe but there are worst things then just thugs out there. Now they're both sitting on a bench under the moon light. Ichigo was half asleep on Kisshu's shoulder.

Kisshu looked at Ichigo's half asleep face and put a few strands behind her ear. Ichigo relaxed in his touch. He whispered in her ear, "Ichigo!"

"Hmm?" she answered.

"I have a question." He asked, "Am I your first?"

"First what?"

"Guy. You're first guy. Am I your first guy that you've liked?"

Ichigo closed her eyes a bit and then opened them as she answered, "No. There was someone else before you."

Not surprised or hurt, surprisingly, he asked, "Who was your first?"

"It was a long time ago. It probably doesn't matter anymore. I know he's not coming back."

"It matters to me, honey. I would like to know."

"You'll get angry."

"I promise I won't."

She let out a sigh and answered, "It was eight years ago. I had this neighbor. His name was Dren Takashiro."


	6. Memories of the Past

**A/N: Hello dear fans! Hey, I didn't get a lot of reviews for this story and I only got two from my 'Betrayal Reveals Love' story. I understand you must be busy with school work, just as I am. Don't worry. I'm not angry and it won't affect my writing.**

**Inuyasha: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. For a quick change in pace since there are so many chapters for 'Betrayal Reveals Love', she has decided to unleash two chapters for that story every time she lets out a chapter for this story.**

**Tsukiko: Kuro would love that, wouldn't she? Thank you for the reviews and please, keep them coming. If you can, though.**

**Tsukiko and Inuyasha: Thank you and Enjoy!**

'_What do you do when you are told of your lover's old love? Will you get jealous? Happy? Sad? Angry? What?'_

Ch. 6: Memories of the Past

_Eight years ago: Memory 1_

"_Mama! There's a big white truck at the house next door!" a small little Ichigo told her mom._

_Her mother asked, "Really?" Mrs. Momomiya stop cooking and wiped her hands with her cooking apron. She looked outside the window and said, "So someone actually bought that house, finally."_

"_What do you mean 'bought the house', mama?" Ichigo asked, curious. Mrs. Momomiya looked back at her daughter and smiled._

_She answered, "Well to have a house, you need to buy it. They cost a lot of money so you can't buy a house."_

"_Why not? I have money!"_

"_Not 'real' money, sweetie. I'll explain it to you when you're older. Anyway, how about we go see our new neighbors? Who knows! They might have a kid for you to play with." The mention of another new friend brightened up Ichigo's face with delight._

"_Let's go now, mama! I want to meet my new friend!"_

_Her mom giggled at her daughter's joy and said, "Okay." She took off her apron and turned off the stove. She covered the food so the bugs won't get it and both her and Ichigo, left the house. Ichigo was mostly giggling on her way there as she skipped on over to the other house._

_In front of the house, the white truck was being uploading stuff from the truck; boxes and boxes of stuff. Ichigo watched in amazement of how strong each one of them are._

"_Excuse me, may I help you?" Hearing her voice, both Mrs. Momomiya and Ichigo looked towards the house and they saw a woman. She had long dark green hair that was tied back into a low pony tail. She had light sapphire blue eyes and her skin was perfectly clear and pale. Even her form was beautifully slender._

_Ichigo stared in amazement and said, "Wow, lady. You're beautiful."_

_Hearing her, the lady giggled and happily said, "Why thank you, little one." She leaned over and asked in a sweet way, "And you're a pretty girl too. What's your name?"_

_She answered, "I'm Ichigo Momomiya! Nice to meet you!" Ichigo bowed down in a sigh of respect. The lady just nodded her head and looked back up at Mrs. Momomiya._

"_You're daughter is really polite."_

_She said, "Thank you. I'm Sakura Momomiya. We're your neighbors and we're very pleased to meet you." She bowed down this time._

_The lady bowed and then said, "My name is Mitsuki Takashiro. I'm glad to meet you, too."_

_Ichigo asked, "Excuse me, Takashiro-san but do you have any kids? I've been so lonely on this street." All Mitsuki did was continue to smile warmly at Ichigo._

"_In fact I do have a son. Would you like to meet him? I will admit though, he's a little shy around strangers."_

_Ichigo smiled in joy and cheered, "Yes, I do! He and I can be best friends!"_

_Mitsuki looked behind her and said, "Dren-kun, there's a pretty girl here to see you." Both Sakura and Ichigo tried to look behind Mitsuki and there was a little boy gripping her mother's skirt and he was looking at the ground. The little boy shook his head in disagreement and Ichigo stared in surprise. "Aw come on now. Let's not be rude, Dren-kun."_

"_Dren…kun," Ichigo softly called. He lifted his head up a bit but he didn't let her get a good look on his face. After a small glance, he hid more behind his mother. Ichigo was starting to get just a little impatient._

_She walked over to get closer and he walked away. She walked closer and he still walked away. Soon, they were chasing or run away from one another around Mitsuki. Then Ichigo got smart. She stopped and he crashed into her. She quickly turned around before he could retreat and hug him._

"_Gotcha!" she cheered, catching him. On his face, he turned really red at her touch. She looked up at him and now she got a better look at his face. In fact, he looks a lot like his mother; dark green hair and piercing light sapphire blue eyes with pale skin. She stared in surprise and mumbled, "Wow. You're pretty, Dren-kun." He only got redder at her compliment. She smiled and told him, "My name's Ichigo Momomiya! I'm very pleased to meet you!"_

_He blinked and asked, "You…do?" She nodded, happy that he talked to her. He looked the other way and mumbled, "Thank you."Just then, Mitsuki picked up Dren and she hugged him._

"_Dren-kun!! You did it!" she cheered, both Sakura and Ichigo stared at the scene in both surprise and confusion._

"_Did what?" they both asked, tilting their heads._

_Mitsuki looked back at them with Dren looking at them as well as she answered, "He never says no more than two words to strangers. Usually only 'hello' and 'bye'." Ichigo looked back at Dren and he looked away, red._

_Still happy, she told him, "Don't worry, Dren-kun! If you don't want to talk much, I'll talk for you! But there is one question I must ask! Do you want to be friends?" Mitsuki put Dren down and he stared at Ichigo in surprise._

_He took a while before he answered, but he nodded his head and said, "Sure." Happy, Ichigo hugged him again._

"_Hooray!!"_

_He turned into a cherry after that._

_Memory 2_

_Dren landed on his butt on the floor and some little kids were kicking dirt in his face; about two boys._

"_Haha! What's wrong, girly? Too afraid to come up against us?" one of them asked, stopping his kicks when he asked. Dren only stared at them with fear as the other got impatient._

"_He ain't going to talk! He's too shy for that!" he said. Both of them started kicking dirt in his face again and laughing. Dren closed his eyes shut and tried his best to block the dirt._

"_Hey!" All three of them looked behind Dren and they saw Ichigo and she looked angry. "Leave him alone, you jerks!"_

_One of them smirked and asked, "What do we have we here? Girly boy's girlfriend?" Being distracted, Dren tried to crawl away but the other one noticed. He grabbed his hair and pulled Dren back. Dren shut his eyes, showing that he's in pain._

"_Where do you think you're going?" he asked. Seeing them still hurting her friend, she charged at them. She punched the boy that grabbed Dren straight in the jaw and he let Dren go as he flew backwards._

"_I told you to leave him alone!" she yelled. The last boy charged at her from behind and Dren saw him coming._

"_Ichigo!" he yelled. Ichigo saw and then kicked that boy in the face. She went in front of Dren and put her hands up to defend him._

"_If you ever pick on my friend again, not only will I tell but I'll also knock you straight into tomorrow!" she threatened. The boys got up and cried as they ran up the hill of the park. When they were gone, Ichigo put her attention back to Dren and asked, "Are you okay, Dren-kun? Did they hurt you?" Her hands went to his face and she dusted some of the dirt away. He turned red from her touch but looked the other way as he tried rubbing some of the dirt off of his face._

"_I'm fine. Thank you," he told her._

"_Really?" Him nodding was her answer. She still didn't look satisfied with that answer. So she asked, "Are they boys from school?" Nod. "Have they've been bothering you for a while, now?" Shake. "Just recently?" Nod. "Because they saw your mom?" He hesitated but nodded._

_He explained, "For as long as I can remember, I've always been picked on by other kids after they see my mom. Since boys usually look like their dads, I guess it's weird for a boy to look like their mother. You look like your mom so you don't have any problems like I do. Sometimes…I wish I looked more like my dad then my mom."_

"_But you should be lucky you look like your mom!" Ichigo yelled. Dren looked at her in surprise and she continued, "Your mom is a very beautiful woman! I'm not saying that my mom is not as beautiful but anyone should be lucky to have your mom's looks! I don't anyone else who has dark green hair and light blue eyes. Do you?" He shook his head, still surprised by her words. "I like the way you look, Dren-kun. You're the prettiest person I've ever met." He turned cherry red and a cloud of smoke came out of his face._

_He looked down and fiddled with his fingers as he mumbled, "I-I think y-you're pretty t-too, Ichigo." It was Ichigo's turn to become bright red from the compliment._

_She started fiddling with her fingers and turned red as she answered, "T-T-Thank you, D-Dren-kun." They both had an awkward moment for a little bit. Ichigo got over it and suggested, "How about we play tag?!" When Dren looked up at her, she grabbed his hands and lifted him up. "Come on, Dren-kun! Let's play!" She started pulling him, her hand grasping his. Dren looked at Ichigo a bit and then grasped her hand too._

"_Sure, Ichigo!" he said with a smile._

_Memory 3_

_Both Dren and Ichigo were sitting down in a field, filled with different colored flowers. Both Ichigo and Dren was working on something and they seem to be concentrating on it. Dren was the first one finished and when he did, he smiled in delight and turned towards Ichigo._

"_Ichigo!" he called. She turned her attention away from her project and to him. He offered her a crown of flowers tied together. He turned a tiny hint of red as he said, "This is for you. I made it myself."_

_Her whole face brightened up and she said, "Thank you, Dren-kun! It's beautiful!" His smile grew bigger as he placed the crow on her head._

"_I'm happy you like it." She smiled right back at him and she put her project on his head. He looked confused by it until he lightly touched it._

"_I made this for you too, Dren-kun!" she told him._

_He got his smile back and thanked, "Thank you, Ichigo." He giggled at her and she giggled back._

"_Dren-kun!"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_I'm really glad you moved next to my house. If we didn't meet that day, I don't think I would be this happy."_

_He turned really red now, but he answered, "I'm glad I moved too. I never smiled, laughed, or talk this much in I don't know how many years. We'll always be friends, right?"_

_She smiled and answered, "Yep! Forever and ever!"_

"_Then I have a question!"_

"_Shoot!"_

"_Can I give you a nickname?"_

_She looked confused as she asked, "A nickname?"_

_He turned a bit red and started fiddling with his fingers as he answered, "Yeah. You know something that proves our friendship with one another."_

_She looked a bit upset as she asked, "But I don't want to give you a nickname. I like your name. Do you not like my name?"_

_He started panicking. "No, of course I do! It's a very beautiful name. I just thought that maybe I can call you something cute."_

_She wasn't upset anymore as she asked, "Oh, yeah?! Like what?" He was able to take a breather, now._

"_You act like a cat sometimes, and it's cute! How about…'koneko-chan'?" he suggested. He waited for about a minute before Ichigo could say anything._

_She turned away from him and tried to think. She mumbled, "Koneko-chan…koneko-chan…koneko-chan…"_

_Dren sweat dropped and said, "I don't have to give you a nickname if you don't want too, Ichigo. I was just thinking is all."_

_She turned towards him and hugged him. "I love it!" He turned another bright red as she tightened her grip on him. "It really is cute! I'll still call you 'Dren-kun' and you can call me 'koneko-chan'! Agreed?" When she asked that, she broke the hug and stared at his face for an answer. He took a moment._

"_Okay, Ich-… I mean, koneko-chan." She smiled at the name and she stick her hand out. He looked at it and took it, but in a different way. As she used her right to shake with, he used his left to have his pinky grab her small pinky. "Agreed." She got it and smiled as she wrapped her pinky around his._

_Memory 4_

_**Knock**_

_**Knock**_

_**Knock**_

"_I got it, mama!" Dren yelled from the other side of the room. He went to the door and opened it. What he got when he opened the door was a crying Ichigo hugging him out of the blue. "Koneko-chan?" he questioned, surprised to see her like this._

"_Dren-kun! Who is it?" Mitsuki asked, from the kitchen._

_Dren answered, "It's Ichigo, mama. We'll go to my room, okay?!"_

"_Alright! I'll bring some snacks up later, okay?"_

"_Okay!" He lightly pushed Ichigo away and stared at her face. Her nose is red and her eyes were all swollen as tears still kept leaking. Since now wasn't exactly the time to ask, he said, "Come in, koneko-chan. Let's go to my room, okay?"_

_She used her hands to wipe away some of her tears and nodded. He pulled her in and closed the door behind her. After that, he led her to his room. She fallowed. They went upstairs and went to the room on the right side of the stairs. Once inside, Dren closed the door so that his mom wouldn't hear from down below and Ichigo collapsed to the floor after she heard click shut. He went over to her as her voice let out sobs and her eyes let out tears._

"_Koneko-chan, what's wrong?" he asked her. She didn't look up at him, but she did calm her tears long enough to be able to answer, barely._

_She said, "It's…it's…this guy. I liked him and I told him. Then he just called me stupid and pushed me." Dren was surprised by that. Since when did she like a guy?_

"_A guy? What guy?" he asked._

"_That popular kid in class," she answered. Dren felt a rush of jealousy run through his veins at that mention._

"_Ah, him."_ _He looked the other way and looked very annoyed at the mention of that boy. That boy happened to be the best friends of the two boys that first picked on Dren and the ones that Ichigo got into a fight with._

_What distracted him from his anger was the sound of her sobs. He looked back at her in a worried way as she added, "And…And then, I came here. I wanted to see you."_

_Surprised to hear that, Dren let Ichigo cry a little bit longer. His features soften on his face and he lifted up her face. She looked up at him in confusion as he placed each hand on both sides of her face. Her expression turned to shock when he licked every tear that she shed and every tear still on her face. It tasted like salt water, but Dren didn't mind._

_After he was done, he was a tiny bit red and he didn't exactly look at her. His hands went from her face to her hands as he confessed, "I really…like you, koneko-chan. I've liked you since the day I met you." Hearing that made Ichigo really happy inside._

_She turned red as she asked, "You like me? You really do?"_

_He still didn't look at her. He nodded and some steam started to escape through his ears. "Yes."_

_Ichigo lightly smiled and grasped his hands. He looked back up at her as she said, "Thank you and you know what! I actually like you better than him. I was just scared that you didn't want to like me since we're friends."_

_More blood rise up to Dren's face from that comment. He took a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. But when he realized that he was smiling, he looked back down and more steam came out as he asked, "Well then…would…you…be my g-girlfriend?'_

_She agreed, "Yes!"_

_Most of his red left his face as he asked, "Really?!"_

_She said, again, "Yes! Then if this lasts long enough, maybe we both can get married."_

"_Married?!" Dren's whole face turned red from that comment. He asked, "That's a little far don't you think?"_

"_Is there something wrong?" she asked, getting a bit sad again. He panicked._

"_No! It was just sudden, is all."_

_Ichigo got her smiled back and promised, "Well if we're ever separated, promise me that we'll be together in the future. That way, we can be married."She stuck out her small finger and he wrapped his small finger around hers._

"_Okay, koneko-chan! It's a promise!"_

_Memory 5_

"_Where's Dren-kun, mama?" Ichigo asked her weeping mother. Sakura tried to calm her tears down as she kneeled down to Ichigo's level._

"_Honey, Dren is going to go far away for a bit," she told her daughter. Ichigo didn't like the sound of that._

"_Why?" she asked. "Why is he going away?"_

_Sakura, sadly answered, "Since Dren-kun doesn't have any parents anymore, he's going to the adoption home and he's going to be adopted."_

_Panicking, Ichigo asked, "Then he's coming back, right? Please tell me he's coming back!"_

_Sakura didn't look at her daughter in the eye when she answered, "I don't know what kind of family will adopt him, Ichigo. When he gets adopted, he might move to America and never come back." She didn't like the words her mother were speaking to her._

"_Never…come…back?" she asked. Sadly, Sakura nodded her head. Ichigo felt tears weild up in her eyes as she shook her head and yelled, "No! Dren-kun is not leaving! I refuse to let that happen! He promised to always be with me! He won't leave me!"_

"_Ichigo!" Sakura softly called, pointing towards the direction behind Ichigo. She looked and she saw two male adults leading and fallowing Dren to a black car; all three of them are wearing black. It was essential for those to come to a funeral to wear black anyway. Seeing Dren getting into a car, Ichigo started running. Her mother called for her, but she didn't stop._

"_Dren-kun! Dren-kun!" she called. Dren heard her and looked out the window, surprised like he just woken up from a trance. He saw her tearing up face as the car started and it started to drive away. Ichigo still fallowed the car. Dren rolled down the windows and stick his head out to still get a look on Ichigo._

"_Koneko-chan!" he yelled._

_She reached for him and yelled, "Please don't leave me, Dren-kun! I don't want to be left alone!" Tears broke out and they dripped down her face, messing with her vision. She tripped over a rock and fell. Dren got worried at that. Ichigo sat up and watched the car drive away._

_Seeing that she's okay, Dren yelled to her, "I promise I'll come back, Ichigo! I promise!" At the last minute before Ichigo couldn't see him anymore, he smiled and told her, "I love you, koneko-chan."_

_More tears left her eyes as she watch the car drive away, taking her boyfriend with it. With her whole voice, she yelled, "DREN-KUN!!"_

_End of Memories_

Kisshu asked Ichigo, "This Dren person was your childhood sweetheart?" Tired, Ichigo nodded and nuzzled her face in his shoulder.

"Yes," she answered. "Since then, I protected that house next door. Every time a 'For Sale' sign comes up, I would take it out and throw it away. Whenever people come to look at the house, I would set traps so that they would leave. I believed his words and waited for the day that Dren-kun would come back."

"But he hasn't," Kisshu pointed out.

With only a few seconds till she'll fall asleep, Ichigo mumbled, "I…know and yet I still…believe he…will." Right after that, she fell asleep on Kisshu's shoulder. Noticing this, Kisshu lightly kissed the top of her head and pushed some hair off her face.

"He isn't coming back, Ichigo. He is never coming back."


	7. Zakuro Fujiwara: the Third Member

**A/N: Hello, fans!! Thank you all so much for trying to give me as many reviews as you can. I really appreciate them and I know that 'Betrayal Reveals Love' needs a lot of work, but don't worry. It will get better.**

**Kuro: I heard that!**

**Tsukiko: From the other side of the door, you did! Anyway, sorry I took so long on this chapter but as you can see, it's pretty long. I did say that since you all were so worried that this might be a long story from finding the Mew Mews, I didn't finish a chapter unless a member joins. I know you might be confused with this new order, but trust me. Lettuce and Pudding have something a little bit extra on how they join Ichigo's team.**

**Kuro: Don't give too much stuff away!**

**Tsukiko: Sorry! I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you for the lovely reviews and please keep them coming. Thank you and please enjoy.**

_When one does not join, how do you convince her to join?_

Ch. 7: Zakuro Fujiwara: the _Third_ Member

"Sorry, Ichigo. But the answer is no and that's final!"

"I still don't see the big deal about it! How bad could it be?"

"Bad enough for you to kill me."

"I will kill you unless you give in!"

"When I say no, I mean no! And that's final!"

"You're a jerk!"

"You're acting like a wench!"

Right after that, Ichigo turned around and tried to slap Kisshu with the back of her hand but he caught her wrist. Both of them just stared at each other showing a bit of anger towards the other.

_Clap_

_Clap_

_Clap_

Hearing that made them look away from each other and to their dancing teacher. She was clapping as she said, "Bravo! Bravo!" She stopped clapping for a bit. "There is by far more no doubt. What you two just showed us was a brilliant performance. I felt the anger and the frustration in it. You two will have the pleasure of doing a duet together." Both Kisshu and Ichigo freeze in shock and disbelief.

"No way!!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"This is your fault," Ichigo blamed, sitting on the bench facing the other way.

Kisshu was facing the other way too as he asked, "My fault?! I wasn't the one who brought the stupid fight up!"

"Well if you just let me, then it wouldn't be a problem."

"It is a problem because I can't let you come."

"And why not?"

"My brother doesn't like visitors."

"I'm sure he can bare with me for about an hour."

"My little brother has chicken pox."

"I had them before so I should be fine."

"I have rats in the house."

"I can handle rats. I am a cat, after all."

"I have bugs."

"I can handle that too."

"My house is in need of repairs."

"It's not going to collapse, otherwise you would have already moved out."

"It's dusty and messy."

"I can handle dust and I can clear things up with my feet."

"My house is completely surrounded by thugs."

"I can fight and you'll be there to fight too."

Kisshu ran out of ideas to make Ichigo not come over to his house.

It's been a few days since the night they found Ichigo's second partner, Mint. The next day after that, Mint has been hired by Ryou and is now working at the café. Or she's supposed too. She sits down at the table, drinking tea as she watch Ichigo go crazy with delivering food to the customer. Then when Kisshu comes in, Mint makes it look like she's the one who's been working. Ichigo get's way over jealous with it. She even wrapped her arms around his waist and hissed at Mint. Kisshu was just watching the reality TV in front of him that was trying to include him too.

What Ryou and Keiichiro found out was that there have been countless murders of people dying now from the loss of blood but the problem was that they haven't detected any kirema anima or demons. They first thought that maybe, the agents are just killing for thirst and not to turn them into kirema animas but that was too generous even for an agent or the devil. It was a good thing for Ichigo that neither Kisshu nor her have decided a date at night since the night of the full moon. When Ichigo told Ryou and Keiichiro about how they found Mint, they were surprised to hear that Kisshu was there at night, human! Since he was there at night, they no longer put anymore suspicion on him but it was still pretty tempting when Ichigo said she had no date plans at night.

Today, both Ichigo and Kisshu got into a fight during dance rehearsals. It was actually going on even before it was their turn. Since Ichigo noticed that Kisshu knows a lot about her but she doesn't know anything about him, she asked if she could go over to his house. Immediately, he said no and she asked why and he said that his brother doesn't allow visitors. But he said no and the reason way too quick for Ichigo to drop it. He was hiding something and she kept asking. During the dance, they were talking about it still and then every move they made was filled with emotion of anger. Every step sounded more like a stomp and their faces matched the dance perfectly. The last thing they did wasn't part of the dance and the dance teacher just loved it. Since they were just perfect for the part, she gave them the duet dance that is supposed to be a big thing and only the two of them dance; which means that all eyes are on them. Like taking part of it wasn't bad enough.

Now both Kisshu and Ichigo are being childish with sitting on the same bench in the park but looking the other way and basically sitting on the edge of the bench. Ichigo finally stopped being and turned around to face Kisshu. Apparently Kisshu had the same idea and turned around to face her as well.

"Look, I-" they both said, but they stopped talking to let the other speak first. "I—That is—" Apparently, they didn't stop.

"Look, Kisshu!" Ichigo said being fast enough. He shut up and listened. "Okay, I get the point. You don't want me over and I'll accept that."

"It's not that I don't want you over," he told her, quickly. She shut up and listened. "It's just that…" He let out a sigh and mumbled, "You'll hate me if I told you or even showed you." Ichigo was taken back by that. He was looking down when he answered that. She leaned closer to him until he could see her face even when his face was facing the floor. He turned red from the sudden appearance of her close up face.

She told him, "You know I wouldn't hate you. Sure I said it a few times before but that was before I decided to go out with you. I didn't know you would be such a wonderful boyfriend." Her hand went to his face and she lightly placed her finger tips on the top of his head and it slid down to his chin. She told him, "I only asked to go because I feel like I don't know anything about you and yet you know everything about me; literally." It was meant to be a joke and she was expecting him to laugh but he didn't. His face looked like it was caring but serious at the same time.

He stared at her eyes and said, "You actually know me better than you believe."

"Wh-What do you mean?" she shuttered, turning red from the burning of his golden eyes piercing straight at her.

Before she knew it, his hands were on both sides of her face and he was leaning in with his eyes closed. Her beating heart started beating faster and faster with each second he got closer. She could feel his breath, hot on her face. His hand… She could felt it brushing against her cheek, brushing at the contract. Since he was so close, she couldn't exactly see his face but she thinks he smiled. She was too lost to care now. His hand moved, and brushed a stray stand of hair behind her ear. They moved closer. They leant towards each other until they were so close that the proximity was intoxicating. Her cheeks reddened further. This time, she was the one who smirked. His hand was at the name of her neck, sending pulses up and down her spine, alerting every one of her nerve endings, giving her goose bumps. They were too close. Too close… Any more and he's successfully push her over the edge. He was invading her space, her senses, replacing her inhibitions with instinct, and damn , instinct wanted to kiss him. Surely…That was what he wanted…they'd come this far, and…Just…Closer…

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

Both Kisshu and Ichigo backed away from each other in surprise of Ichigo's phone. They were back to how they were before; looking away from each other and sitting on the edge of the bench. Kisshu had a hand over his heart and tried to breath to get the blood out of his face. Ichigo took out her phone, red as an overripe cherry and her ears and tail are revealed as she answered it.

"Hello?"

'_Where the heck are you?! You're were supposed to be here three minutes ago!'_

Hearing that it's Ryou, Ichigo lost her embarrassment, her tail, and her ears, and she got angry with a vein pulsing on her head.

"Three minutes isn't going to make the café go out of business! Besides, I think Mint needs to help out for once."

'_I don't know what your problem is with her? She's only here for about two hours and you treat her as an annoying little sister.'_

"You don't have to work with her, Ryou."

'_Just get your butt over her, now!'_ After that, Ryou hang up and Ichigo was having flames decorate her background.

"Ichigo!" She forgot her anger at the sound of his voice and turned around towards him.

"Yes?"

He asked, "You're leaving?"

Sadly, she nodded. "Yeah, that stupid son of a gun is working me to the bone! I swear one of these days, I'm going to leave him in battle and make sure a demon eats him!"

Kisshu narrowed his eyes and said, "I just wish that this battle is over already. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate of what you do but it's just that I think this Ryou is getting just a little bit controlling."

"A little bit? He's more controlling than you think! He's always telling me to do this and that and even when the café is closed, he still treats me like that! I'm a work slave to the guy!"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She turned red and he looked completely fine as he said, "Then let me be your prince in shiny armor and take you away from the cruel evil boss."

She got a bit nervous as she said, "Trust me, there is nothing more wanting then to do that, but I have a duty to protect Tokyo and I have to keep it, otherwise…" She didn't finish it. She was actually really nervous to even say the words.

He asked her, "Otherwise, what?"

Since he asked, she had to answer. She mumbled, softly, "Otherwise you'll get hurt again." He heard her, even though she was hoping that he didn't. He let out a sigh and tightened his hold on her. She calmly leaned on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

He rubbed her back and told her, "I'll be fine, honey. It's you I'm more concerned with about. You lost your parents, you have to live with a slaver worker, and you have to fight dangerous creatures that could kill you. I saw you in action, but when I got there if I didn't kick that kirema anima away, you would have been dead. But yet again, if you hadn't transformed when you did, I would have been dead too. So maybe we need each other. I'll watch your back and you watch my back, deal?"

Realizing that, she smiled and nodded. "Deal. We really can't go on with another can't we?"

"Survive is more like it." Both Kisshu and Ichigo chuckled that time. After the chuckle, they just stared in each other's arms, smiling in delight of the pleasant warmth each one was giving the other.

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

Ichigo growled as Kisshu allowed her to get up and look at her phone. It was Ryou again and she put it on silent. She knew what he's calling for.

Kisshu asked, "He's waiting for you."

She gripped her phone with three veins pulsing on her head as she told him, "Sometimes I wish that I could quit."

'_You're not the only one,'_ Kisshu thought, agreeing with her. Ichigo stood up and put her phone away.

She offered, "Want to walk me to the café?" His face brightened up and he got up as well.

"Like I'm going to pass up an opportunity like this!" he said.

She had to giggle again as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the café. He grasped her hand and they both walked hand in hand towards the café. But the happy moment only lasted for about ten seconds.

_Boom_

Hearing the explosion, they looked up and they saw smoke starting to rise up, not too far from them. Actually around the area where the…

"The café!" Ichigo shouted.

She started running and Kisshu ran with her. Since Ichigo went forward first, their hands weren't connecting anymore but it's a bit late to think of stuff like that now. Not when there are about three peoples' lives on the line.

When they finally see the café in clear view but not close view, they saw who was attacking the café. It wasn't an agent, it was something else. This person looks like a female and she looked like a high school student. Since both Ichigo and Kisshu could only see the back of her, they didn't exactly get a good look at her. Now, she has long, smooth, neon purple hair that was long enough to gently brush against her skinny waist. Her slightly pale skin looked so glamorous and clear that it could be mistaken for milk instead. She has the long skinny arms and legs of that of a dancer and she had the curves of a dancer as well.

After Ichigo and Kisshu looked at her, they looked up toward the café and Ryou, Keiichiro, and Mint were on their knees in their angel forms. That kind of upsetted Ichigo.

"Why is there an agent here in broad day light?" she wondered out loud.

Kisshu reminded, "You told me that agents are guys and from what I can see, that's a female."

She asked him, "Then why would an angel attack her own kind? Besides, maybe Ryou and Keiichiro got it wrong."

"I highly doubt it." She turned towards him and started growling. He lifted his palms up to try and reason with her, but instead he said, "Just go over there and help them. I'll stay here so that you wouldn't get a heart attack but if you get into a position of needing help, I'll save you." Even though that was dangerous, Ichigo couldn't help it but smile. She quickly kissed his cheek and he turned beet red.

"I'll be right back." She took out her blotch and cried out, "Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!!"

Mint, Ryou, and Keiichiro finally saw the bright pink light and apparently their attacker did too. She only got a glimpse of it from the corner of her eyes. After her transformation, she took out her Strawberry Bell and went a little closer to the attacker.

"Okay, agent! Step away from my friends and maybe, I'll go easy on you!"

Mint yelled, "You idiot! That isn't an agent!" Ichigo was taken back by that as she looked at the attacker again. The attacker turned half way towards Ichigo and now she got a better look at her.

She has, what looks like dark, intelligent yet sensitive eyes that are like sapphires on her clear skin. The only problem with her eyes is that it looked more hard and icy then sensitive eyes. Her outfit looked very revealing, almost. Her purple top is a strapless, bra shaped top but what was connected to it is a purple see through material that revealed her waist. On her waist is a mark. She has the long light purple skirt that hang on her waist with the dark purple ribbon hanging in the middle of the skirt that was just as long. On her upper arms, she has purple arm bracelets and on her wrists is what looks like purple sweat bands. On her neck is a purple collar with a golden blotch hanging. On the top of her head are light purple wolf ears and she has a wolf tail on the end of her spine on her lower body. On her feet are three inches high, purple heels. Finally, now that Ichigo and Kisshu could see her front, they could see a halo flouting above her head and pure white angel wings on her back that are shoulder length. Because her hair was so long, it hid them from them. Finally in her hands is a whip and the whip is glowing a light purple just like her whole body.

Ichigo mumbled, "You're an… angel." The girl before her didn't change her angry expression. She pulled her whip behind her and then aimed it at Ichigo. Getting out of the way, Ichigo jumped up just in time. The wolf girl tried again in the air and Ichigo just kept on dodging. That was starting to get to that situation.

Ichigo asked, "Why?!" The girl didn't slow down. She kept on attacking Ichigo. "Why are you attacking us?! You're an angel! You're on our side! You should be fighting _with _us! Not _against_ us!"

Finally the wolf girl got her whip around Ichigo's ankle and pulled her down. She made Ichigo got crashing down to the ground and she landed about a few feet away from her companions. She scrapped her arm and it was starting to bleed. Kisshu felt his heart beat a little bit faster than usual. But he tried to take deep breaths to control it.

The wolf girl took a few steps towards them and that was got their attention. She stared long and hard at the angels before her. She finally spoke, "People who ruin lives and cause humans to die are no comrades of mine."

'_What?'_ Ichigo wondered.

Ryou told her, "That's wrong and you know it!"

She asked, "Am I? Because of you, my life is ruined because I'm some kind of freak who supposedly protects humans from demons! If you guys never started this stupid project then so many lives would have been spared! So far twenty lives have been taken and soon there will be more to come tonight! We're weak when night falls! Why didn't you think it was odd that you weren't even able to purify that possessed animal on the night of the full moon?!" Everyone was shocked to hear that. She was there when they found Mint?

The wolf girl lifted up her whip and it glowed a brighter purple. "With this one shot, I will destroy you." Automatically, Ryou grabbed Ichigo and pulled her into a protective way. Keiichiro did the same to Mint as the angel in front of them got ready. "Ribbon Zakuro Spear!!"

_Pow_

Right before she got the chance to attack the angels in front of her, Kisshu ran up to her and punched her straight in the face. She dropped her whip, which caused it to disappear and she took a few steps away from the angels. Kisshu stood right in front of them and he looked angry. The wolf girl blinked in confusion of the human's action.

She asked, "Why? Why are you protecting them?"

He answered, "Because you have no idea what they're like!" She widened her eyes to that and Ichigo just stared up at him. "You think you're the only one who's upset about being an angel who has to protect the world from demons? Ichigo and Mint are feeling exactly what you're feeling! If you were really there that night, then you would have seen what they did to save that dog! They thought that Miki was dead but he wasn't! They saved him from pain and suffering of being possessed! Why would you kill people who are going through exactly what you're feeling and are helping those in need?" The wolf girl stared at Kisshu and he stared back but he was serious as she was shocked. Ichigo's heart actually beat a hundred times faster than before.

After a bit, the wolf girl lost her shock and turned around. "Bye." Then she sprang into the air and started flying away.

Kisshu mumbled, "Crazy witch." Right after that, he felt a pair of arms grab his and he looked to see Mint hugging his arm.

"Oh, Kisshu! You were so cool! Thank you for saving me!" Ichigo was burning with jealousy again.

"Excuse me! But he saved all of us!" Ichigo yelled. Mint turned towards Ichigo and stick her tongue at her and she pulled an eye lid down _(you guys know what I mean)_. Kisshu turned around too and saw Ryou still on Ichigo. His turn to burn with jealousy.

"Excuse me, but," he started. He pointed to Ryou and Ichigo looked at him. Remembering that Ryou still held her, she pushed him back.

"Get off of me!" she yelled.

Ryou got up angry and argued, "I was protecting you, you idiot!"

"You weren't doing a good job of that, Ryou! Kisshu saved us!"

"Oh sure! Give credit to the guy who came at the last minute!"

"I told him not to come out! He just did it to protect me!"

Mint butted in, "You mean protect _me_."

Ichigo turned towards Mint and yelled, "And you! Get off of him!" Since she's probably going to explode, Kisshu pulled his arm away from Mint. She looked like she was pouting but Kisshu didn't pay any mind since someone would have killed him.

Ryou got up and said, "Well, back inside you two. Customers are coming soon and you need to clean up the mess. You especially, Ichigo." Ichigo is furious at him now and Kisshu was starting to get a bit nervous from Ichigo's furry.

In the end all four of the angels turned back into humans and they started heading back into the café. Ichigo didn't go in yet. When she was certain that they were alone, she turned towards Kisshu and smiled.

She grabbed his hand and held it in her soft small hands. "Thank you, Kisshu. I don't think I can ever go through something like this without you." He smiled at her and used his free hand to go to the back of her head. He pulled her closer to him and then he kissed her forehead.

He leaned on her forehead and told her, "No problem. I will protect you, Ichigo. Remember that." She nodded and then looked back up at him. They both got the same idea. She closed her eyes, ready for it and he closed his to lean towards her lips.

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

'_Damn it! I hate it when that happens!'_ both of them thought as Kisshu's cell kept on ringing. Upset and red, he backed away from Ichigo and took out his white cell phone. He took a few steps away to be able to get some privacy.

"Hello?" Right after he answered, that he pulled the phone away thanks to the loud yelling.

"_Hello?! What the hell do you mean 'hello'?! Where the hell are you anyway?! It's almost dark!!"_

Kisshu rolled his eyes and put the phone back to his ear. "Nii-san, it's still around sunset time, for god's sake! You're acting like an overprotective father!"

"_Just get your ass here!! You're making little brother worried sick?!"_

"He's not our mom, nii-san!"

"_Sure as hell I'm not!"_ a different and younger sounding voice yelled in the back ground. Apparently his brothers are furious.

"Will you both just calm down already?! I'll come home, okay?!" After that, he hung up the phone and then he burned up in flames of anger. "Stupid ass brothers…" he cursed. Ichigo watched the whole thing and then sadly smiled.

"You better go, Kisshu," she told him. He lost his anger and turned towards her to see that sad smile on her face. She tried to smile sweeter and said, "They're all waiting for you at home. I'll see you tomorrow though, right?"

Next thing she got was a kiss on her forehead. He sweetly smiled at her red face and told her, "Of course. Good night, Ichigo."

She nodded and departed, "Good night." He waved and then walked away. She waved back until he was out of her sight. When he was gone, she let out a dreamy sigh and then walked back into the café.

Seeing her so happy, Mint asked, "Why do you look so happy? Did he finally dumped you?"

Nothing seemed to break her happy mood. "Keep wishing, Mint. The day he does that will be the day that hell freezes over."

"Ichigo!" she heard Ryou yelled.

Still happy. "What? I'm allowed to swear as much as I want, Ryou and I don't care if I'm an angel!"

'_Sometimes, I wonder if she's an angel at all?'_ Ryou and Mint wondered. Like they're ones to talk.

Ichigo went to her dressing room and changed into her work uniform. After that and after a few cleaning, customers started to come in and as usual, Ichigo did most of the work but she didn't care this time. Kisshu put her in a good mood in so many ways today and that was enough for her to do most of the work and for Mint to have a drink. She was wondering why Ichigo didn't yell at her or anything, but what she was also wondering about was why did that wolf angel look so familiar?

Near closing time, Ryou came out saying, "Girls, close the café. Tell everyone that we have a sewage problem down in the basement." Getting the hint, the girl's did what they were told. They turned most of the orders into take outs and then send everyone off. After that was done, they went down to the basement to see Keiichiro use his quick hands to type in about four computers.

Ichigo asked, "What's going on?"

Ryou answered, "We may have found out where the third member is." They both were shocked to hear that.

Mint asked, "You mean the angel from earlier?" Ryou nodded.

Keiichiro warned, "But that isn't the only thing. Apparently, there is some recent kirema animas' action happening there." Now they're worried.

"Where is she?" Ichigo asked, both Mint and her getting prepared.

He answered, "In a church on the west side of Tokyo."

"I know that church. Let's go!" Mint yelled, running towards the exit. Ichigo nodded and ran right after her.

"Wait!" Ryou stopped them. They did and he asked, "Are you sure that you can convince her? She did attack us so she could be the enemy."

"Not possible!" Ichigo told him, immediately. After that, both Mint and Ichigo were out the door. "Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!!"

"Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!!"

Both of them transformed and ran to the church with Mint's directions. When they arrived, it didn't look like church. It could be at least three stories high and it looked like one of those medieval castles. On the top of the church is a cross to show what religion this church is sponsoring. The night back ground didn't help it look any safer either. It was completely spooky and Ichigo was starting to shake but not enough for Mint to notice.

Ichigo asked, "Is t-t-this the ch-ch-church?" Mint nodded and Ichigo made a silent gulp. "Let's go!" she cried. Mint nodded again and they both ran inside.

Once inside, it was dark and they could hear a church piano playing. It only made the church even creepier but somehow, Ichigo didn't feel scared anymore. She felt safe and she could feel a wonderful feeling enter her body. It must be because she's an angel and that she's in a holy place. Mint felt the same thing too, but how could there be recent kirema animas' movement here? Can they even enter this holy place?

In the middle of the church are stairs that lead to a praying area and there's a person praying there on her knees. But not just any person; a female is there praying. Thinking that she's the angel from earlier, Mint yelled, "You have to transform! There's kirema animas coming this way!"

The girl stood up and turned around to face them. They couldn't get a good look at her face because she was wearing a coat and a hat. But on her neck is a silver cross. Mint widen her eyes at the sight of that, like she seen it before.

'_Everyone! Watch out! kirema animas are there!'_ they heard Keiichiro tell them through one of the blotches.

"But how?" Ichigo asked.

Then front outside the windows, the sky began to darken. Outside almost like the clouds were made of them, hundreds of kirema animas were outside and then they entered the church, through the windows. They all looked like crows, but kirema animas don't look like regular crows. These had to be possessed crows. Then where is the kirema anima?

The possessed crows went straight for Ichigo and Mint and they let out a yell of the crows attacking them. The crows stopped a little and they all heard a laugh. They looked up in the air and Kish was there with a giant looking closed bird on his arm.

"Kish?!" Ichigo yelled, surprised to see him in a church.

He waved and greeted, "Hello, Ichigo! How have you've been? I haven't seen you in a while." Ichigo growled at him. Looks only one person can make her angry today.

She asked, "How can you get in here? This is a holy place!"

He answered, "Holy _ground_, koneko-chan! Why don't you think I'm flying instead of standing on the ground? You think I would be stupid enough to stand in this place?"

'_For once, yes.'_

"Oh well," he started. "The dance party is about to begin. Dance as much as you want…with the crows!" The closed giant bird on his arm opened up and let out a cry. Now that looked like a kirema anima.

The possessed crows went straight for the girls again and all the girl on the praying post did was watch. Both Mint and Ichigo were trying to brush off the crows as they clawed them, grabbed their hair with their claws, and even peck at them. Both angels were even lifting their legs one after the other like they were dancing. Mint became the first to fall to the floor from tripping.

"Where's the third member?" she wondered out loud. The crows went back to her and she tried to cover herself from them.

Ichigo fell down next but she landed on her butt. "Oww!" she cried.

She felt two cold hands on her arms and she heard Kish whisper in her ear, "Can you not even take a step because it's so fun?" She quickly turned around to see him, but he disappeared in an orb of black again. She looked up and he was there again with the giant crow on his arm. He let out a laugh before he said, "Welcome, everyone to the funeral of the third member!"

Finally the crows left the two angels on the floor alone and flew up. Ichigo and Mint watched in horror.

"But for the funeral to start, I need her to die first," Kish figured. The girl still didn't move. "Ahh, why aren't you moving? Are you paralyzed because you just fallen into a trap?" he asked. He let out a chuckle and then yelled, "Kill her!!" All of the crows went straight for her.

The girl finally moved with taking off her hat and revealing her face. Mint's eyes really widen after seeing who she is now.

"Zakuro Fujiwara?!"

Zakuro took out a golden blotch and yelled out, "Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!!" She let out a blinding light of purple as she was changing in that light. In the light, she felt the common warmth and bliss that both Ichigo and Mint usually feel and in her ear, she can hear the faint sound of pop music. How the light ended became a surprise to not only Kish but to the Mew Mews as well.

Her purple light grew out all at once and it affected nearly all of the birds, all except for the one on Kish's arm. All of the crows that were hit by the light weren't possessed anymore. They all started to fly out of the broken windows. Kish was upset.

"Damn you!" he cursed at her. "You turned all of the kirema anima crows back to normal at once?!" The giant crow on his arm let out a cry and he cried, "Go! Kirema Crow Great!!" The crow flapped it wings and then charged at Zakuro. She took out her whip but she didn't say the words she said before.

She flipped her hair and then swayed her hips to the right and then to the left. In the air, Ichigo, Mint, and Kish heard a faint music of guitar and then it started to grow and grow. When Zakuro opened her eyes, she started singing?

_I've been looking for a driver who's qualified  
So if you think that you're the one step into my ride  
I'm a fine-tuned supersonic speed machine  
With a sunroof top and a gangster lean  
_

She aimed her whip at the kirema anima but it flew out of the way. She jumped up into the air and the kirema anima charged at her again. She dodged and attacked. It dodged and then attacked. The way she moved almost looked like she's dancing. Ichigo and Mint watched in amazement of her moves and her curves as Kish was watching in pain. He gripped his head with one hand as the music continued to created a bigger headache for him.

_  
So if you feel me let me know, know, know  
Come on now what you waiting for, for, for  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go, go_Her whip finally hit the kirema anima and it was purified. All it did before it was gone was let out a cry and then glow white. That was a kirema anima made from a human soul. Being upset and rather annoyed, Kish started charging at her despite his pain of her music. Just like with the kirema anima, she moved as if she was dancing to the music in the air and her singing voice rang out beautifully throughout the church.

Got you where you wanna go if you know what I mean  
Got a ride that smoother than a limousine  
Can you handle the curves? Can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy then we can go all night

Cos I'm 0 to 60 in three point five  
Baby you got the keys-

Now shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

_  
I got class like a 57 Cadillac  
Got all the drive but a whole lot of boom in the back  
You look like you can handle what's under my hood  
You keep saying that you will boy I wish you would_

_  
So if you feel me let me know, know, know  
Come on now what you waiting for, for, for  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go, go_

Got you where you wanna go if you know what i mean  
Got a ride that smoother than a limousine  
Can you handle the curves? Can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy then we can go all night

Cos I'm 0 to 60 in three point five  
Baby you got the keys-

Now shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Cos you play the game, got what I got (Get it Get it)  
Don't Stop It's a sure shot  
Aint no ferrari huh boy I'm sorry  
I ain't even worried  
So step inside and ride  
(ride, ride, ride, ride, ride...)

So if you feel me let me know, know, know  
Come on now what you waiting for, for, for  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go, go

Got you where you wanna go if you know what I mean  
Got a ride that smoother than a limousine  
Can you handle the curves? Can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy then we can go all night

Cos I'm 0 to 60 in three point five  
Baby you got the keys-

Now shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Her whip finally caught Kish by his ankle and it sent an electric shock throughout his body. He didn't yell out though.

Now shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

She pulled him down to the ground and he landed head first to the ground. That was when he let out a cry as dust and dirt was all around him, covering him. Ichigo eyes widen, remembering that scream from that time at the park.

Shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Zakuro landed gracefully on the ground and stared at the area where Kish landed. Surprisingly, he stopped screaming but when the dust cleared, he wasn't there. All that was there is the big hole that he created when he landed.

"He escaped," she said out loud.

She glowed purple and then returned back into her human self. She walked down the stairs and found her hat surrounded by feathers the crows left behind.

Still surprised, Mint mumbled, "So onee-sama _is_ the third member…"

Ichigo turned towards Mint and asked, "You know her?"

Mint looked at her like she was stupid and asked, "Are you as dense as a long?" Zakuro walked to her hat and picked it up while Mint explained. "Zakuro Fujiwara is an international actress and an up-and-coming model. She speaks English, French, Chinese, German, and Japanese. She's born on September 6th, virgo. Her height is 172 cm and her weight is 49 kg. She has black opal like hair, blue sapphire eyes that give a mysterious glitter, and her long legs are as white as platinum. Why didn't I see it before?" Mint had hearts in her eyes as Ichigo was just staring in both shock and disbelief.

'_She…admires this person?'_

"But…" Ichigo started, getting back to reality. "This afternoon…" Mint came back down to earth too.

"That never happened!" Mint protested. "We're angels, right? We can forgive those who are needed to be forgiven." Mint walked a little closer to Zakuro and asked, "So you are the third member? Please don't worry about what happened earlier. We'll just forget that it ever happened! What do you say?"

Zakuro didn't turn around to face her. She kept her back towards her. "How stupid," she answered. Mint tried to keep her surprise small as Ichigo was shocked. "Sorry, but I have no intentions to work with anyone. I don't need any friends." Right after she said that, Mint started to have tears in her eyes.

"But…" she started. "You're the third member!" She ran to Zakuro and hugged her from behind. "Onee-sama!" She only got a moment to hug her as Zakuro pushed her from behind.

"Stop it!" she told her. Ichigo gasped and then ran to Mint side while Mint fall to the floor.

"Mint, are you okay?" she asked. Mint looked up at Zakuro with pure shock all over her face.

"Onee-sama…"

Zakuro turned her body half way towards them to yell, "Girls like you are annoying!!"

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"So that's what happened?" Kisshu asked, still staring at the still in shocked Mint. All she did was sit at the table, holding a flower that is meant for a vase.

Ichigo nodded and answered, "Yep. She's been like that since last night. I'm a bit worried that she didn't eat or anything." Both of them just kept on staring.

_Ding, dong_

_Ding, dong_

Ichigo looked up at the clock and then at Mint. "Mint, it's tea time!" she said, trying to be cheerful. Mint looked up at Ichigo and then the clock.

"Okay…" she mumbled. Ichigo watched her with a smile and then both Kisshu's and Ichigo's expression went to shock and worried.

"Mint!! That's not a tea cup!! It's a…" Ichigo started, but Mint caught on. She stopped drinking water from the vase and then she stared at it.

"It's a vase."

Ichigo fell on the counter nearby and Kisshu held his head in his hand. Both of them said, "She is seriously ill."

Ichigo got up and headed for the kitchen. Kisshu fallowed right behind her. "Ryou! Keiichiro! You here?" she asked. Luckily, they both were.

Ryou asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well…"

"What's the matter?" Keiichiro asked.

Ichigo let it out. "Is Zakuro really a member?"

Ryou asked her, "She transformed didn't she?"

"Don't play dumb with us!" Ichigo started. "You guys knew it was her and yet you didn't tell us! If not, you wouldn't know if danger was approaching her, right?"

"Who knows," was all that Ryou answered and that made Ichigo angry. Kisshu clearly saw that.

'_She's angry now.'_

"Look here, buster!! She said that she has no intention of joining! She said that very clearly! But what are we supposed to do if she said something like that, huh? Now because of what she said, Mint is acting like a ghost all over the café!!" Right after she said that, Kisshu, Keiichiro, and Ryou saw Mint 'flout' by with a vase and they had that look that made Ichigo turn around. She didn't see anything and had that confused look on her face.

Ryou told her, getting out of his trance, "I still don't see what you're mad about." Two veins pulsed on her head. Kisshu could clearly see the flames in the background and he was shaking.

"What the hell!!" she yelled. That was the first time in a while that Kisshu heard her swear.

Ryou told her, "Rather she becomes a member or not is her choice. Your job is to convince her."

"And when was that decided?!"

"Now."

Ichigo fell over.

Kisshu thought about it for a little longer and wondered out loud, "From what I've seen and heard, there's a very good chance of Zakuro being the enemy." Ichigo got up and raised a brow.

"Kisshu, I don't believe that's right," she told him.

He reminded, "She attacked you with the intention to wipe you off from the face of the planet and she said that she has no intention of joining you. 'Enemy' is written all over this case."

Ryou smirked and said, "He could be right you know." Ichigo looked the other way and think.

"I'm going to go see Zakuro again. I'll be irritated if I don't." Right after, she ran out of the doors but Ryou was still talking to her.

"Be careful! She might be an enemy."

Hearing him, she answered, "Again, not possible!" She headed straight for the dressing rooms and on her way she grabbed Mint as Kisshu stayed in the kitchen with the others a little longer.

"She denied that possibility strongly twice," Keiichiro noticed.

Kisshu smirked and said, "She's that kind of girl."

Ryou added, "That's what makes her perfect for the Mew Project."

Hearing enough, Kisshu left the kitchen for Keiichiro and Ryou to finish what they were doing before. When he got out, he heard rushing footsteps coming out of the dressing room. Hearing her coming, he waited. When she came out, he grabbed her wrist and she stopped. Mint just walked right passed them, ignoring the scene.

"Sorry what I said before," he started. "I guess, I was just concerned that you're trying to get involve with people who can hurt you. I worry about you when you do that." Seeing the caring in his eyes, Ichigo used her free hand to gently touch his skin with her finger tips.

"Thank you, Kisshu."

He smiled and asked, "Can I come with you just in case an agent comes?" She pointed to the window and he looked; the sun was starting to set and he cursed in his mind. He cursed, "Oh shit!"

She smiled and told him, "You have family who are going to worry about you very soon. Go home so that they wouldn't get a heart attack." He rolled his eyes and then lightly shook his head. He did however, looked back at Ichigo and kissed her forehead.

"See ya, honey."

She turned a bit red but departed, "See ya." He passed her and then left the café. Ichigo looked for Mint and she was just sitting at a table. She approached her and said, "Let's go."

Mint looked up at her and stared. Then she asked, "Why? Why are you going to go through the trouble of seeing her? She obviously doesn't want to join us and we won't be able to simply just talk."

"You didn't see?" Ichigo asked. Mint looked curious as Ichigo finished. "Her eyes I mean. They're similar to yours when we first met. Which is why I believe that we can convince her to join us." Mint turned a bit red from what Ichigo said but she looked back and smiled sweetly. Ichigo smiled even brighter and cried out, "Okay! Let's go!"

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Zakuro was sitting on a chair in her dressing room at a TV station studio. In her human form, all she did was sit and stared out the window; her chin leaning on her hand. She spaced out into the view of the barley visible sun that had already disappeared behind the mountains. As she started out into the scenery, she let out sigh and had a sad look on her face.

'_Zakuro-san!'_

She closed her eyes at the painful memory.

"Why do you look so tired?"

Hearing his voice and getting out of her thoughts, she looked behind her to see Kish and just him; no kirema animas or possessed animals. But still, it made Zakuro conscious because she knows how strong he can get.

"I'll call someone," she warned. Like that's going to scare him.

He told her, "I don't care. But why not call your friends instead?"

She answered, "I have no intention of working with another."

"I at least know that."

"Why are you here? The wounds I gave you should still be affecting you,"

"Blood can do amazing things, but that is not what I came here for." He walked towards her and then placed his hand on the wall, his face really close to hers. "If you work with me, you can get revenge."

She didn't look affected by his closer as she asked, "Revenge?"

"They did this to your body, right? And wasn't it their fault that he's gone?" Her eyes widen at that and he smirked. "Work with me and that could happen. First you can destroy the angels and then I can return your body back to normal. I know a way."

While they were talking, Ichigo and Mint entered the building.

"Are you sure she's here?" Ichigo asked.

Mint answered, "She should still be taking pictures here."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I have my ways. Look! Barely anyone is here!"

"Lucky! Okay, let's split up and then look for her." Mint nodded and she went to her right. Ichigo went to her left and they started searching for her.

"Onee-sama! Where are you?" Mint asked, out loud.

She saw one room that had a door open and she entered it. She stopped running though when she saw what was inside. Both Kish and Zakuro were looking at her direction and Kish was the only one grinning. Seeing them together probably wasn't what surprised her but how close they were did.

"No…" Mint stared. "Please tell me you're lying… Onee-sama!" Kish backed away from Zakuro and licked his lips.

"Gotcha!" His hand made sand appeared and he aimed it at Mint. She put her hands on her head to try and block the sand as it circled around her and she let out a cry.

Hearing her, Ichigo turned the other way and saw some of the sand coming out of a room. Worried, she ran for it and yelled, "Mint!" She ran to about right outside the room and she saw the sand flying everywhere and Kish was there, flouting in the air. "What is this?" she asked.

His grin grew and he yelled, "This is punishment for being late!" He threw another blast of sand and this time, it covered Mint completely in a ball of sand. The last thing Ichigo heard before the sand disappeared was the cry of Mint. Ichigo's eyes widen in terror.

"No!" she yelled. She entered and looked around for Mint. "Mint! Where are you?! Mint!" She looked at Kish and asked, "What have you've done?"

"All I did was made her disappear. She won't come back forever, depending on the situation," he told her. That made her more terrified for her friend's safety.

"Bring her back!"

"Well then," he started. He landed back on the ground and got out of the way between both Ichigo and Zakuro. "The two of you fight." Zakuro was a bit surprised to hear that and Ichigo looked angry.

"What are you getting at?!" she yelled.

Kish let out a chuckled and explained the rules. "The winner gets to work with me and I'll return her back."

"That's messed up," she told him.

He told her, "Then she'll never come back."

Zakuro said, "Like I said, I don't work with anyone!"

"Then you're never be normal." Kish got her that. "Think about it a little more. Bye!" Then he disappeared in his usual black orb. Ichigo was starting to cry.

Being overwhelmed with emotion, she yelled, "This is your fault, Zakuro! If you had become a member in the first place, this wouldn't have happened!" Zakuro only stared at her with cold eyes as Ichigo started having tears leak out of hers.

Zakuro walked right passed her and said, "This has nothing to do with me." Zakuro left the room and Ichigo was left alone, crying. She cried a few minutes before she took out her blotch.

"Keiichiro! Ryou! Please answer!"

'_Ichigo-san? What's wrong?'_

"Kish took Mint somewhere and I don't know where! He said that unless I fight with Zakuro, she'll never come back! He even said that the winner will work with him. I don't want to fight her!"

'_Hold on, Ichigo-san. I'll do a search on the location of Mint now!'_

Ichigo heard typing sounds in the background as she waited for Keiichiro to be done. Then she heard a beep.

'_Found her!'_

"Where is she?"

'_She seems to be in a different dimension but she's okay.'_

"Thank goodness."

'_But the bad news is that she probably won't last long. The dimension that Kish created is starting to shrink.'_

"No! What do I do? We have to do something quick!"

Then she heard Ryou, _'Do you want to go fight Zakuro?'_

"What the heck does that mean?"

He answered, _'You said that unless you and Zakuro fight, he won't return Mint. That's a lie. He plans on first destroying Mint and then defeating you and Zakuro one by one.'_

"Then what should I do? I don't know what to do anymore!"

'_Do you really believe that she's a friend? Zakuro I mean?'_

"Where are you getting at?"

'_Just answer the question. Do you believe that she is a friend?'_

Ichigo took a minute but she nodded. "Yes, I do."

'_Then go tell her. A different path might be created if you tell her your feelings.'_

"Ryou…"

Keiichiro told her, _'It will defiantly work, if you believe. That's what angels are good at; believing and forgiving.'_

Feeling a bit better, Ichigo nodded and smiled. "Okay! I'll do it!"

She put her blotch away and then headed for the door. But before she left the room, she saw a red rose. Curious, she walked towards it and picked it up. It looked like a regular red rose with a note under it. She opened the note and read it.

_To my dearest._

Ichigo rummage through her head but she didn't think of anyone who would call her that; not even Kish. Since it could be Zakuro's, she put the note and the rose down and ran out of the room.

Trying to find out where Zakuro went to, she ran all over the floors and looked at the signs on the doors. She finally found the one room that Zakuro went in but the moment she entered, someone saw her and stopped her.

"Excuse me, but are you authorized to enter here?" the woman asked. Ichigo got really nervous.

"Um…how should I say this? I…" she mumbled.

The woman raised a brow and told her, "You shouldn't enter here without permission." Ichigo looked down at the ground, defeated.

"She's alright," they both heard. They both looked up and Zakuro approached them.

Surprised, Ichigo asked, "Zakuro?"

Believing her, the woman said, "Alright, then. Bye." She walked away and headed out the door. Since she was gone, Zakuro and Ichigo could talk now.

"What did you come here to talk about?" Zakuro asked.

Ichigo walked a little closer to her and said, "Time is running out. Ryou told me that we can save Mint using your amazing powers."

"Ryou?" Zakuro asked, confused. Then she got it. "So that's the name of the one who changed me. I have no intention of helping selfish people for whatever reason."

"But," Ichigo started, gaining back her attention. "She's my important friend! We can't have even on person missing. I promise that we'll find the other two but please, Zakuro! We need you." Zakuro stared in surprised at that.

Her eyes relaxed and she asked, "You… didn't come here to fight me?" Ichigo was taken back by that but she shook her head.

The director yelled, "Zakuro-san! It's time!"

Zakuro looked at him from the corner of her eyes and then walked towards the set. Ichigo reached for her, but stopped. Since all she could do was watch and wait for commercial. Ichigo went behind a camera and watched the show. Apparently the show is _'Ani Ani Animal'_.

But what Ichigo and Zakuro didn't realize was that, outside the room where the one lady went out, someone was waiting for her. Kish appeared in front of her and she stopped to stare at him.

"Excuse me but do you have an appointment?" she asked.

He smirked and went up to her. He grabbed her hands and answered, "I have an appointment…with you."

She turned a bit red and asked, "With…me?" His smirked widen as he nodded.

She stared deep into his red eyes and he stared back at her. He said, "You hate this life don't you? Watching all of these stars go on the set and presenting their beauty to TV? You wanted that didn't you but they didn't want you? You don't have to suffer anymore. Just trust me and I promise that I will make you a star."

Almost like she was in a hypnosis, she looked embarrassed and mumbled, "A star?"

He nodded and went closer to her neck. "A star and all you have to do is trust me. Will you trust me?"

She nodded and answer, "I trust you."

"That's a good girl."

He opened his mouth to reveal two long fangs and then he bit her. Almost like the pain he gave woke her up, her eyes widen in pain and she tried to scream but she couldn't He deepened his bite and then sucked more blood from her. He needs to hurry and finish her.

Meanwhile, it's been ten minutes since the show started and Ichigo's blotched started beeping. She looked at it and it wasn't a call. It's a warning. She looked around but no Kish. Then she saw a light outside the studio. She ran out into the hallway and the lights nearly blinded her. But she was able to see Kish.

"Kish?" she called, surprised. She covered her eyes to protect them but that made her unnoticeable of Kish's closure. He grabbed her wrists and then pushed her to the ground. "What do you want?" she asked opening her eyes and looking at him.

He told her, "It was trouble-some enough with just the two of you and if more keep adding then it will be difficult. But it's easy if I take care of you one by one." She struggled to get away from him but he was too strong for her human form. "But don't worry, koneko-chan. I won't kill you because you're my special toy." She just kept on struggling. "It's no use. You can't do anything with your human powers." He started laughing and Ichigo noticed something moving behind him. A black giant figure slithered from the hallway to the studio. "Now Zakuro can't transform! Kill the girl first!"

"No! Zakuro!" She went back to struggling as she yelled, "Let go! Let go!!" Finally, she lifted her leg up and kicked him hard in his chest. He let go of her from the pain and she used that chance to get away from him.

"No, wait!" he yelled, but she didn't listen.

"Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!" Ichigo entered the room, while transforming and Kish growled towards her direction.

Inside, a giant snake kirema anima was tossing humans around like toys and everyone was screaming and trying to run away, all except Zakuro. In _Ani Ani Animal_, the special guest gets introduced to an animal and everyone sees how brave they are against animals. One of Zakuro's animals was a snake. The snake was on Zakuro's neck and shoulder and it wrapped around her like that. She tried to get the snake, off but it wouldn't move.

"Go, Garara!" Kish yelled, entering the room. The kirema anima readied her tail at Zakuro but Ichigo went in front of her.

"Stop it!" she yelled, protecting her.

The kirema anima hit Ichigo and she went crashing into a wall. The kirema anima grabbed Ichigo and then started squeezing her. Ichigo felt humungous pain all over her body as the kirema anima tightened its grip around Ichigo.

Weakly, Ichigo yelled to Zakuro, "Zakuro…run!"

A bit shock by that, she asked, "Why?"

Ichigo answered, "Because…" she didn't get to finish it completely. The snake tightened the grip but she breathed out, "You're a friend." Zakuro's eyes widen in pure surprise from that.

Kish gritted his teeth and ordered, "Kill her!"

The snake didn't let go of Ichigo or tightened the grip around her anymore. The snake's whole upper body glowed blue and then let out a blast at Zakuro's direction. The last thing Ichigo saw before the blast hit her third companion was a purple light. The blast disappeared and Zakuro disappeared too.

"Za…kuro…" she called. Kish flouted to Ichigo and lifted her face to make her look at him.

"She's not your friend. She ran away."

Ichigo looked the other way with her eyes and told him, "It's okay since I told her to."

He let out a sigh and said, "You'll end up dying for real at this rate. I know you want to go back with me, but I'm afraid that's never going to happen after that little attack you pulled on me." He didn't stop there, though. He went closer to her and said, "But one last kiss wouldn't hurt." Since she couldn't do anything, she couldn't stop him. He closed his eyes and leaned closer to her. Before long, his lips were pressed against hers. Being in pain, she closed her eyes and her cheeks flared up.

After a minute, he broke the kiss and grinned. "Bye-bye, koneko-chan."

"Ribbon Mint Echo!!" From the corner of their eyes, both Ichigo and Kish saw a blue light coming their way and Kish backed away before the arrow hit him. He barely missed it.

"What?"

"Mint!" Ichigo yelled, surprised to see her and in her Mew Mew form no less. She was also accompanied with Mew Zakuro. That only made the smile on Ichigo's face brighter and Kish angrier.

Zakuro readied her whip and yelled, "Let go of her!! Ribbon Zakuro Spear!" The whip hit the snake and the snake let go of Ichigo from the pain of Zakuro's whip. Mint flew to Ichigo and brought her back towards Zakuro.

"Ichigo? Are you okay?" she asked.

Ichigo smiled and said, "I'm glad you're all right, Mint." Mint turned a bit red at that but helped her up.

"Come on, let's defeat her!" Ichigo nodded and summoned her Strawberry Bell.

Mint started singing in high soprano and she readied her arrow. "Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

Zakuro sang a few 'yeah's and 'ooh's in a pop version and her whip glowed an even brighter purple. "Ribbon Zakuro Spear!"

Ichigo didn't sang or anything. She aimed her Strawberry Bell at the kirema anima and yelled, "Ribbon Strawberry Check!!" All three attacks went straight for the kirema anima and it was purified; soul and all. Kish stared in anger and then teleported away.

Seeing that the kirema anima is destroyed, Ichigo cheered, "We did it!" She turned to Mint and asked, "Are you okay? You had me worried there for a second."

Mint turned a bit red but said, "I'm fine. If it weren't for onee-sama, I would have been a goner." Ichigo and Mint turned toward Zakuro and Ichigo bowed down respectfully.

"Thank you, Zakuro," she told her.

Zakuro quickly said, "I don't like friends." Both Ichigo and Mint looked down in rejection to that until Zakuro added, "But for you guys, I'll make an exception." Ichigo's ear perked up and she hugged Zakuro's neck

"Hooray!"

Mint was so happy that she hugged Zakuro's arm. "Onee-sama!" Zakuro only blushed and smiled at that. She didn't seem to mind at all. Three members now and only two more to go.

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Damn this whole thing all to hell!!"

Not too far from the studio but in the ally of the city, Kish laid against a wall and gritted his teeth in pain from his ankle and the burn marks on his body. After his battle with the now three Mew Mews, his old wounds started to come back. The pain was nearly unbearable and all Kish could do was sit down and lean on the wall as it kept on stinging.

"Oh my god, are you okay?"

He looked up at the voice and he saw a concerned looking girl kneeling before him. Her forest green hair looked short but she had at least two braids in her hair that was long enough to touch the back of her knees. She has sea blue eyes and she looked curvy. Her skin looked so beautiful even though all he could see is the skin on her face. Everything else looked covered with clothes; even her hands had on leathered gloves on. She seems like a shy girl, especially with the big round glasses she has.

She touched his face, his arm, and his ankle where some of his marks started to appear. She didn't seem to be scared of his appearance like he expected her to be. She asked again, "Are you okay? What happened?"

Seeing her neck starting to bare from her leaning closer to him, he couldn't control it anymore. He needed blood and he needed it now. He grabbed her sleeve and then pulled her closer. She got a bit nervous but didn't say anything as she felt his cold breath against her neck. He opened his mouth to ready his fangs but something stopped him. Someone else pulled the girl out of Kish's arms and then pushed him back against the wall.

"Don't touch her, Kish," he told him. The shy girl, cling to her savior but she dare not touch him with her skin.

Kish brushed the hand off his head and asked, "What the hell are you doing with a human unharmed, Sardon? You know just as well as I that human blood quenches our thirst." The girl started to shake after hearing that. The one known as Sardon, made hushing noises in her ear to calm her down before he talked to Kish again.

He told him, "I know, but she's not dinner. She's more than that."

Kish spit and then asked, "Keeping a human as a pet or having a relationship with one? You know that it's forbidden."

He answered, "I know but she's not just any human." Kish raised a brow and then he got it.

"She's…" Sardon nodded before Kish could finish it. Kish smirked and then asked, "So then what am I going to eat? As you can see, I need the blood." Sardon went to his bag and took out a white bag that looked like it has a straw attached to it.

"Here! That probably works better than the ones you took before," he told Kish as he tossed the white bag to him. He caught it and he read the label.

_Type: A_

"You stole blood from the blood bank? Man, you are one wacked out doctor." Sardon didn't seem mused by Kish's comment.

"Just drink the blood and then find your blood to feed you." Sardon lead the other girl to the other way and she fallowed, still clinging to him.

Kish smirked and then yelled, "No problem! It's a city. I'll find a lot of them!"


	8. Lettuce Midorikawa: Member or Enemy

**A/N: Hello dear fans!! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. You have no idea how happy I get when I receive one from you lovely people! **

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming. Tsukiko also has a special announcement for you all.**

**Tsukiko: I'm thinking of a new story. I was inspired when I was watching some Yaoi clips and when I was watching 'Strawberry Panic'. Sorry, but my friends told me about Yaoi and they showed it to me. I thought it was really cute and then they told me that 'Strawberry Panic' is a girl-girl one so I watched that. It gave me a lot of inspiration!**

**Kuro: You're sick…**

**Tsukiko: Oh shut up, you old grouch. I think that they would really like it when they find out that Masaya is gay…**

**Kuro: You just said it, you idiot!**

**Tsukiko: Oops! My bad… Maybe I did it on purpose.**

**Kuro: What?**

**Tsukiko: Anyway, I know that some of you don't like the names I'm using in this story because they're from Mew Mew Power, but the truth is, Kisshu has three names, Taruto has three names, and Pai only has two. Kisshu – Kish, Kisshu, and Dren. Taruto – Tart, Taruto, and Tarb. Pai – Sardon and Pai. I know that Pai has another name in the manga version but it sounds the same as his anime name. Thank you and please enjoy!**

Ch. 8: Lettuce Midorikawa: Member or Enemy

"Wuuuuaaaaahhhh!! How did this happen?!"

On the sidewalks of Tokyo two things just zoomed right passed everyone on that sidewalk; something gray and something black. By the time people noticed them, they were already about twenty meters away from them. Apparently both Kisshu and Ichigo came in late.

'_First I overslept thirty minutes, dressed and ate breakfast quickly. I would have been on time too but I forgot something when I was already 100 meters away from school! Also to make things worst! I almost forgot that I was supposed to meet Kisshu at the park! Now we'll never make it!!'_

'_First I get up about an hour than what I'm supposed to and I was such in a panic that I skipped breakfast! Then was a bit happy that Ichigo wasn't there yet, I waited and I waited overtime! She came running through the park and grabbed me but now we'll both never make it!!'_

Apparently, both Ichigo and Kisshu are on a wrong start for the beginning of the day. When they saw the familiar corner, Kisshu grabbed a pole to turn and Ichigo just tried to stop herself. They started running down that way but they ran a bit too much. They didn't expect to see a girl in there.

"Auugh!!" Ichigo let out surprised yelp as Kisshu just panicked.

The girl who was in the way, suddenly saw them too. Kisshu, being a good athlete, stopped before he crashed but Ichigo wasn't able to. Both her and the girl went colliding. Apparently, the girl was holding black school bags and when she crashed, she dropped them all. Ichigo landed on the floor with her butt to be the first thing to crash.

"Ouch…" she whined. Kisshu went up to her and kneeled down.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She looked up and answered, "I'm alright."

"I'm sorry!" Surprised to hear her mousy small voice, they both turned to look at her and she was bowing to them. But she stood up and bowed again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She went up to Ichigo and asked, "Are you hurt anywhere? If I had looked where I was going, this wouldn't have happened."

Ichigo smiled and said, "It's okay. I'm alright." She jumped up and stood up straight demonstrating. "See! Besides, it's my fault too for crashing into you." The girl looked like she didn't listen to the last part.

When Kisshu stood up, the girl handed Ichigo her bag and bowed again. "I'm really sorry."

'_This girl says sorry way too much,'_ Kisshu thought.

Ichigo accepted her bag and told her, "I'm sorry too. Are you alright?" The girl looked shock to hear Ichigo asked that. Both Kisshu and Ichigo noticed that.

"Is something wrong?" Kisshu asked her. She looked at him like she didn't noticed him before and then she turned a bit red.

"Excuse me!" she yelped out. She turned to him and bowed as she said, "Please excuse me for not seeing you, Kisshu-kun. I'm so sorry! Both Ichigo and Kisshu blinked. She didn't look like she goes to the same school as them. In fact she's wearing the uniform of Okurmura High school.

The uniform almost looks the same as Ichigo's with the color but it was different in style. Since it's close to winter time, she was wearing a white buttoned shirt with a red bow tie and a long sleeve grey jacket. Her skirt is grey too and it's about an inch longer than her knees. To look at her features to see if they know them and they don't remember a girl with short green hair, deep blue eyes, and big round glasses. The glasses would have been a big hint if they knew her.

Kisshu asked, "I'm sorry. Have we've met?" The girl gasped and then looked the other way, disappointed.

She mumbled, looking at the floor, "Oh that's right. You don't remember?"

Now Kisshu and Ichigo are confused. "Uh?" Since she was looking down anyway, she noticed the bags she was carrying are on the floor. Ignoring their confused stares, the girl ran to each bag and picked them up.

Kisshu thought, _'What a strange girl? I would be able to remember a girl like this?'_

Ichigo thought, _'How does she know Kisshu and why is she a high school student? She looks about the same age as me. She's seems polite and also very timid.'_

"Lettuce! What's taking you so long?!"

Both Kisshu and Ichigo turned towards the corner they turned on and there were three other girls with the same uniform as the girl.

Another girl yelled, "Hurry up! We're leaving!" When the girl, or Lettuce, stood up with bags in hand, both Kisshu and Ichigo now see that she was holding four bags. Three girls and Lettuce four bags but why is she carrying them?

Lettuce answered the three girls, "Coming!" She looked back at Kisshu and Ichigo and then bowed again. "I'm sorry. Good bye." They both watched her off until she turned the corner to catch up with the others.

Ichigo asked Kisshu, "Do you know who she is, Kisshu?"

"No clue what's so ever," he answered. Both Ichigo and Kisshu looked at their watches and then freaked.

"We don't have TIME FOR THIS!!"

They continued running right at top speed right after that. They ran as quick as they can, leaving behind a trail of dust and trash flying in the air. By the time the bell ring, they just entered the room and apparently, sensei wasn't there yet.

Tired, both Ichigo and Kisshu hunched over to their desks. They sat on the chair and collapsed on the desks.

'_Just made it!'_

After that thought, they both fell asleep with the sun shining in through the windows and with the desire to have a really long, long nap. One too weak to learn and the other too lazy to learn. So what was the point of coming?

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"You are so stupid!" a girl yelled, pushing Lettuce to the floor.

Lettuce looked up at the three girls and said, "I'm so sorry! But you said that you wanted hot coffee!"

Another girl asked, "Are you making excuses?"

"No! I mean…I…" Lettuce shuttered. The third girl went up to her and pulled her up by the collar.

"You know you're really starting to piss me off!!"

"I'm sorry!"

The second girl asked her, "Why would we want hot coffee when it's scorching hot out here?!"

Lettuce shuttered again, "But…you said hot coffee."

The first one told her, "We changed our minds!"

The third one, the one who still had a hold on her yelled, "Figure it out, dumbass!!" When she let go off Lettuce, she pushed her. Lettuce was going to fall on the hard cement floor again but she landed on someone's chest this time. She looked up and it was a handsome looking guy who could be at least older than her by two years.

The one who caught her has dark, short purple hair with one area in front of his left ear that was an inch longer than his hair length. He was looking at Lettuce with concerned oblivion purple eyes. His skin looked only one shade lighter than Lettuce's and he could be at least taller than her by at least five inches.

He asked her, "Lettuce-san, you okay?" She nodded, turning red.

"I'm alright, Pai-sensei," she told him.

He looked at the three girls this time and his eyes were cold and hard. All three of them stepped back in slight fear of him. "If I see this one more time, I'll report this to the principle and have you three expelled. Now get to class!" The threat might sound weak to people like those three but it wasn't useless.

They grunted and then walked to the school. Since they were gone, Pai looked back at Lettuce and said, "Sorry. I should have gotten here sooner." Being safe, Lettuce leaned on his chest and shook his head.

"Don't blame yourself. I have to apologize to them later," she told him.

He said, "I don't know why. You could always get them back tonight."

She nodded again. "I know." Noticing something, Pai looked down at Lettuce's knees and her black pantyhose are ripped on one leg and she's bleeding.

"Lettuce-san, you're hurt." She looked down at her knee and saw the small scrape. She started to panic in a small way.

"Oh no. Don't worry, I'll go take care of it right away!" She pushed herself away from Pai and tried to run into the school building but Pai grabbed her wrist before she was out of his reach. She stopped and looked at him in confusion.

He told her, "Don't worry. I had a lot last night. A group of five were going to murder a family and I stopped them before they could." She got a bit nervous but she nodded and relaxed. "Come to my office. I'll clean the scrape."

She mumbled, turning red, "Okay." He moved his hand to her hand and he pulled her towards the building. She fallowed behind, grasping the hand that held hers.

They entered the building and went straight to the nurse's or doctor's office. Pai lead her to a room and helped her up on the high resting stool _(no idea what it's called)_. He went outside but before he could close the door, he told her, "I'll give you some privacy. Get the pantyhose off and I'll get the bandages."

She nodded and answered, "Yes."

He closed the door behind him and she took a minute before she took off her shoes and then her pantyhose; carefully not trying to touch the scrape. When she was done, he came in with a first aid kit. He took a stool and went up to her knee to have a better look at it.

"It's not that deep, but better to put some hydrogen peroxide or it'll get infected." All Lettuce did was nod.

Pai went to the first aid kit and he took out a black bottle. Lettuce grips her fists together and clenches her eyes shut as Pai put some of the liquid on a cotton ball. He lightly patted the wet ball against her cut and she let out a small noise in pain. He backed it away immediately.

"Sorry," he apologized.

She looked at him and released her tightly clenched hands. She pleased her hands on his that held the wet cotton ball and pulled it towards her cut. He looked up at her, surprised by her actions and she did was smile.

"Don't be sorry. I can handle it because you're here, Pai-sensei. Just like always. You're there for me when I'm in pain." Somehow her voice and her smile made him feel…relieved.

He stood up, his hand still holding the cotton ball against her leg, and he leaned his head against hers. She turned red from the closer but she didn't dare make a big deal out of it. She enjoyed it too much to ruin it all now.

"Thank you, Lettuce-san. I feel the same. If you hadn't found me that day, I don't know what would have happened," he told her. She closed her eyes to relax in the wonderful feeling and he did the same.

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"I'm so tired…"

"So…true…"

Both Ichigo and Kisshu were sitting on a bench in the park, as always. They both were practically slumping on the bench, complaining after a full day of school work and trouble for sleeping in class.

Finally, Ichigo raised her head and mumbled, "I don't care if they call themselves 'angels'! My pain is caused by those devils!!" Kisshu slightly moved his head to watch Ichigo as she burned with anger towards her companions.

"Mint just sits and doesn't do any work at all, Ryou just orders me around and doesn't do the slightest bit of help, Zakuro is cold towards the customers so I have to make them happy, and Keiichiro just avoids the subject when I'm asking him for help!! I feel like I'm being used like some kind of rag doll! They're treating me like a servant! That is all wrong! First I have to fight, then work, then look, fight, and work again!! Why is it that I'm the one doing all the work?! That is completely WRONG!!"

Kisshu just mumbled, "It's amazing to me that you have so much energy when you're upset. I feel as weak as an old dog with weak legs." Coming back to reality and the pain she was feeling before, Ichigo slumped on the bench and moaned while Kisshu was in his own thoughts.

'_I'm on my way home because my stupid older brother tells me too and the next thing I know, I'm already in bed and it's morning! I asked what my brother what the hell happened and all they said was that when they got home, I was already asleep! Big ass lies if you tell me!! Then because of my shorter day periods, I have to get up and get ready for school!! I swear it feels like I wake up in the morning and the only memories I have of getting away from school are the two hours I spend with Ichigo and that's it! Back to school!! Think Ichigo's got it rough? She's not the one who's living the life of confusion!!'_

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

'_Aw, man!'_ Both Ichigo and Kisshu thought as their phones kept ringing. They stood up, painfully and answered the phone.

"Hello?" they both greeted. Each conversation was different.

_Ichigo's conversation:_

**Ryou: Where the heck are you? There is a mountain load of customers here and you're nowhere to be seen!**

**Ichigo: Must you speak so loud? You're making my headache worst.**

**Ryou: I'm going to work you to the bone unless you don't get here in about two minutes!**

**Ichigo: Bye!**

She hang up after that.

_Kisshu's conversation:_

**Kisshu: What do you want, little brother?**

**Little brother: Well aren't we all moody today, big brother?**

**Kisshu: I wouldn't be like this until you tell me what the hell is going on!**

**LB: I'm letting elder brother handled that. You won't believe me if I told you.**

**Kisshu: Remind me to question big brother when I get home. Anyway, what do you want?**

**LB: Well I called to say that apparently elder brother has a date so he won't be able to come home to scold you.**

**Kisshu: Oh joy…Wait! He has a date? With who?**

**LB: I don't know! Some girl that goes to the school he works for.**

**Kisshu: A doctor that is dating his students. That sounds sick by itself, but it's not.**

**LB: Not since he skipped four years of high school and went straight to college after middle school.**

**Kisshu: But he did get all of that high school work when he was in middle school.**

**LB: That was because one of the teachers thought he was cute and decided to dazzle him with more homework.**

**Kisshu: Well I have to go. See ya.**

**LB: Bye!**

Kisshu hung up after that conversation. He looked towards Ichigo and she was getting ready to leave.

"Going to the café already?" he asked.

She groaned, "Yep. Apparently we have a busy day today. One of these days, I so want to make him regret the day he hired me!" Kisshu got up and laid his arm around her shoulders.

"I wish I could help, but I have problems with my controlling, confusing brothers who seem to be hiding something," he groaned. Both Ichigo and Kisshu let out a sigh and shunned.

"Our lives suck!" they mumbled.

Kisshu however looked back at Ichigo and smiled. He moved a few strains of her hair to the side, gaining her attention, and he said, "I'm guessing we were made for each other, then."

She only half smiled and told him, "Now that sounds like the old Kisshu. What happened to Kisshu, my boyfriend?"

"Oh, he went to get some rest. Guess it's my turn to finally get a taste of his forbidden strawberry."

She turned red at that as he leaned closer to her. She closed her eyes and readied herself for it. He slightly closed his eyes so that he can still see where he was going and they were heading for it. Just a little more…

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"Where the heck were you?" Ryou asked. Both Ichigo and Kisshu were looking down at the ground, red as cherries.

Apparently their attempt didn't go as planned like they hoped. Let's just say that Mint saw them and well, she had a camera.

Ichigo tried to talk. "W-W-Well, I…I mean… We w-were…" Ryou raided a brow and let out a sigh.

"Just get ready okay? These customers are getting anxious. This one time, I'll let Kisshu help since apparently the three of you can't handle this many."

'_It's more like one person can't handle,'_ Ichigo thought.

"Well get going."

"Right!" After that, both Ichigo and Kisshu zoomed out of there like bullets.

Ryou just stared at the direction they headed for in confusion while in the background, Mint was devilishly giggling as Zakuro looked at the picture that Mint took. Since she's working here now, Zakuro and Mint are wearing the same thing as Ichigo but with different colors. Mint's colors are a blue maid outfit and a light blue ribbon on her collar. Zakuro's colors are a pink ribbon on her collar and a purple maid outfit. Zakuro stared at the picture and then gave it to Mint.

"You shouldn't take pictures of things like that," she told her, getting to a table to order.

Mint stared at both her and then the picture. She let out a sigh and then ripped the picture to shreds. She threw the remains in the trash and she went back to work, seeing that she can't have tea with this many people.

While Ichigo and Kisshu suddenly became busy, they had two guests that were right behind some Okurmura High school girls. Pai was having black coffee as Lettuce was just fine with her green tea. However since they were behind some girls, they heard rumors.

"Hey did you hear?"

"Hear what?

"There's a ghost hanging around the school at night. Those who have seen it, see it as a young woman. Crazy thing is that those who were lucky only got wet. The others were half dead from drowning."

"I heard that too. I also heard that the water of the pool is getting cold for some reason or it's covering by itself. Spooky yeah?"

"That's not as spooky as finding someone half dead from drowning. I wonder if it's really a ghost or maybe some girl being a psycho freak!"

As soon as she said that, Lettuce gripped her skirt and she held back her tears. Pai noticed her reaction and moved one of his hands to hers. She looked up at him in reaction to the warmth of his hand against hers.

He told her, "We'll make them pay tonight, okay? Everything will be alright."

She nodded her head and mumbled, "Yes."

"What the hell!"

They both looked up at a calm version of a surprised Kisshu. He was carrying a tray full of used dishes and he had on what looks like long black dress pants, a white long sleeve buttoned shirt, a black vest, and a red bow tie. He looked like a butler but Pai isn't exactly the teasing type. He looked up at Kisshu in surprise as well.

"Indeed," he mumbled.

Lettuce breathed out, "Kisshu-kun?" Kisshu looked at her and recognized her from earlier.

"You were the girl from this morning, right?" he asked. Turning red, Lettuce nodded and bowed.

She greeted, "I'm Lettuce Midorikawa. Sorry for running into your friend this morning."

Pai asked, "This morning? You guys met already?"

Kisshu explained, "She just ran into my girlfriend is all. But it was an accident."

"But still," Lettuce mumbled. "I would like to see her again. I didn't get to properly apologize to her."

'_You apologized to her five times in only two minutes. If I let you alone with Ichigo for half an hour, she would probably say sorry seventy-five times,'_ Kisshu thought.

Reverting back to Pai, he asked, "So why are you here?"

Pai raised a brow and asked, "Why? I'm allowed to take people to places, right?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, it's just that-"

"Kisshu! Who are you talking too?" Right at that moment, Ichigo poked into the conversation and it made Kisshu freak out. He was taken off guard that he nearly hit the roof.

When he could start talking, almost, he mumbled, "O-Oh, hi Ichigo! What's up?"

She answered, "Nothing much. Who's your friend?" She was referring to Pai and Kisshu panicked again.

"Hello," he greeted. "I'm Pai. I'm Kisshu's-"

Kisshu quickly covered Pai's mouth and answered instead, "Friend! He's a friend of mine!" Pai raised a brow and stared at Kisshu and he could clearly see that he's panicking.

Ichigo was confused as she said, "I see. You could have let him tell me you know."

"Sorry, but he can say the craziest things sometimes." Pai got irritated and pulled Kisshu's hand off his mouth.

"Can we talk in private, _friend_?" he asked.

He answered, "Sure." Kisshu walked passed a confused Ichigo while Pai stood up and faced Lettuce.

He told her, "I'll be back okay?" She nodded and he left. She was left with Ichigo. Now that she recognized her, Ichigo was in aw.

"Hey, you're the girl from earlier, right?" she asked. Lettuce just noticed that she was still there and got a bit nervous.

"Yes," she answered. She bowed and mumbled, "I'm sorry about earlier."

Ichigo waved her hands in front of her and told her, "It's okay. You don't have to be sorry about anything, but there is something I want to ask you."

"Y-Yes?"

Ichigo took Pai's seat and asked, "Those girls from earlier today. You were carrying their bags weren't you?" Lettuce was taken back by her question for a bit but looked down eventually. She nodded to answer Ichigo's question. Then she asked, "Why are you doing that? Easily, I can tell that they're not your friends. Why do you let them do that?"

"Because I think they are angry of the things that happen in their lives so they take it out on me. I just thought that maybe if I listen to them then I can help them in any way I can and we'll be friends," she answered. Ichigo was shocked to hear Lettuce's answer. When Lettuce looked up, she had on a sweet smile on her face as she added, "I just want to try a little bit longer." Ichigo couldn't help but smile at her cute face.

'_What a nice person,'_ she thought.

She greeted, "I'm Ichigo Momomiya."

Lettuce greeted, "I'm Lettuce Midorikawa." Seeing that they're getting along, Ichigo had to ask one more question.

"So who's that guy that you were sitting with? Is he your boyfriend? He looked only about two years older than you."

Lettuce freaked. "Oh no, he's nothing like that!" Lettuce calmed down and explained, "He's actually the doctor of the school I go to and he works at the Tokyo Hospital when he's needed most. Since he skipped so many grades, he was able to get a doctor's degree in college. I only skipped one grade so that's why I'm in high school. I get picked on a lot because I'm the 'genius'. But it was because that happened to me that I met him. He practically understands me better than anyone; even better than my own parents."

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While they were having that conversation, Kisshu and Pai went outside and as soon as the door was closed, Pai asked the first question.

"What the hell was that?"

Kisshu asked, "What was what?"

"That! You just covered my mouth when I was answering your stupid girlfriend's question."

"Okay, first off, Ichigo is not stupid and second off, if you had answer 'brother' then Ichigo would be asking you permission to come over." After he explained that, Pai raised a brow.

"Don't tell me you're still hiding that from her?" he asked. Kisshu just nodded in shame. Pai sighed and shook his head. "Dear, sweet, brainless, little brother. If you keep this up and when she finds out, she'll get upset."

Kisshu leaned on the wall and mumbled, "I know. But how can I tell her?"

"Well I did tell you to tell her five years ago."

"Oh so I was just going to walk on over to her and say it?"

"It's better than keeping it for the past five years and not telling her now that you two are dating. Since you two are together, there's a very high chance of her hating you after she finds out." Kisshu let out another sigh.

"I know." Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it anymore, Pai looked up at the sun and it was starting to set.

"Time for you to go home, little brother."

Kisshu looked up at him in confusion and asked, "Why? You're here, right? So I can go home when you go home."

Pai crossed his arms and told him, "I'm still the one who pays the bills, the groceries, and your scholarship bill so do as I say and go home. I have to drop Lettuce-san off at home anyway."

Kisshu rolled his eyes and answered, "Fine but when we get home, you going to tell me why the hell I can't remember what happens at nights!" Kisshu went inside the café and Pai took a moment before he entered himself.

"That is something you have to figure out for yourself, little brother."

When Pai entered the café, he saw Kisshu standing there surprised. Pai walked to Kisshu's side and looked at what he's staring at. When he looked, he was surprised too. Ichigo looked like she's trying to calm down with both Mint and Zakuro holding her back like she's some kind of wild animal. Lettuce was bowing to the three of them while the same girls who were picking on Lettuce before were getting all lovely dovey over Akasaka who was sweet talking them.

Both Kisshu and Pai looked at each other and asked, "What the hell happened in only two minutes?" After that, Kisshu went up first.

"What happened?" he asked. Zakuro, Mint, and Ichigo looked up at Kisshu and Ichigo stopped trashing. Mint let go of Ichigo and then grabbed one of Kisshu's arms.

"Oh Kisshu! It was terrible!" she cried out in an innocent, damsel in distress voice. Ichigo got jealous real fast. "Ichigo brutally attacked one of our customers and I tried desperately to stop her but she wouldn't listen! It was so frightful!" Ichigo could see Mint getting closer to Kisshu and her grip on his arm only tightened. Pai ignored that and went straight to Lettuce.

"What happened?" he asked her. She stopped bowing, and apologizing, to answer his question.

"Nothing really," she said. "It was just an accident. I'm sure Ichigo-san didn't mean it."

Kisshu raised a brow and asked, "So she did attack them?"

Ichigo got a huge red vein pulsing on her head as she explained, "It was only a fruit parfait! They were being mean to Lettuce and I couldn't just sit there and allowed them to criticize her! Let alone order me around like some house maid!" Kisshu only blinked a few times in surprise and Mint was ignoring what Ichigo said with a dreamy sigh of being so close to him. Since she seems calm enough, Zakuro let Ichigo go and just watched.

"Are you ladies sure you're okay?" Akasaka asked, giving them his dazzling, caring smile. They all had hearts in their eyes from that.

They said at the same time, "We're fine. It was nothing serious."

His smile got sweeter and he let out, "Thank goodness. I'm glad that you beauties are alright." Both Ichigo and Kisshu raised a brow at that.

The girls then said, "Well good bye. We have to go now."

He waved and said, "I hope I get to see you again." They all let out a dreamy sigh and just flouted out of the café.

Kisshu got out of Mint's grip and turned towards Ichigo. At the same time, they both stick a finger in their mouths, stick their tongues out, and went, "Bleaugh!"

Pai placed his hand on Lettuce's shoulder and she looked up at him. He nodded and she got it. Pai told them, "Thank you, but we need to go now. Come, Kisshu."

He rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Yeah, yeah."

Ichigo asked, "You're going?" Kisshu pointed to the window and she looked. The sun's about to set. "I see. I guess you better go. Your big brother will yell at you again."

"I highly doubt it. It's my little brother I got to worry about. I swear he acts like the mom sometimes." Ichigo had to laugh at that comment. Kisshu went straight to the dressing room after that comment he made and when he came out, Mint grabbed one of his arms again.

"I don't want you to leave, Kisshu. I'll get so lonely without you," she told him. Ichigo got angry again.

He mumbled, sounding nervous, "I-I'm sure you can handle twenty-four hours without me."

She looked up at him with teary eyes and pleaded, "Promise me that we'll see each other again real soon, okay? Promise!"

"I-I promise, but can you let go now? I can't feel my blood rushing through my veins." She let go and he scooted over towards Ichigo. "Is it just me or is Mint acting strange?"

'_She always act like that when she gets a __**moment**__ with you,'_ Ichigo thought. Ignoring that question, she asked, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"We go to the same school, honey. Of course you'll see me tomorrow and if something happened, I'll call you." He kissed her forehead and left, Pai and Lettuce already outside.

Ichigo let out a dreamy sigh with red on her cheeks as Mint and Zakuro approached her. Zakuro said, "I heard some of the girl's rumors. Apparently, something is happening at the Okurmura high school."

Ichigo got out of her thoughts as Mint added, "I heard that too. They think it's some ghost that doing that but maybe it could be a kirema anima." Ichigo didn't listen to the kirema anima part. She listened to the ghost part.

Zakuro asked, "Shall we investigate?"

Mint answered, "Of course."

"No." They both looked at Ichigo surprised and she mumbled, "I'm scared."

Mint asked, "Why are you being such a baby?"

"No…I'm scared…No…I'm scared…" Ichigo kept mumbling, her body shaking and her eyes big and wide.

Zakuro told her, "It's only a kirema anima. I highly doubt that there is a real ghost." Ichigo freaked at that.

"I hate ghosts!" she yelled. She continued, "I hate ghosts! I hate ghosts! I hate ghosts! I hate ghosts! I HATE GHOSTS!!"

Everyone was looking at Ichigo, confused by screaming as Mint and Zakuro were covering their ears from Ichigo's sudden yell. Ichigo however, was practically on one of the pillars and she looked like she was holding onto dear life while her whole body was shaking like a leaf. Her cat ears and her tail are showing too but her ears were down so low, the humans didn't notice and her tail is hidden by wrapping itself around her waist.

Mint whispered into Zakuro's ear and Zakuro nodded in agreement when she was done. Mint turned to Ichigo and asked, "Are you that freaked out about it?" Ichigo, stilling onto the pillar, nodded her head like lightening.

Zakuro said, "Then we won't go to the school." Ichigo let out a sigh of relief and then Zakuro added, "I have another photo shot anyway."

Mint added, "And I have Japanese Dancing to go to."

Ichigo got off the pillar, her ears and tail gone, and she asked, "You call can't leave now!"

Mint told her, "Sorry, Ichigo but we have too. Laters!"

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled, but those two were already heading towards the dressing room.

"Excuse me!" a customer called. Ichigo gave her attention as she asked, "Can I have some water and a slice of cheesecake?"

Forgetting about Mint and Zakuro, Ichigo called out, "Coming!"

Then another customer yelled, "I need a cappuccino!"

"Two apple pies please!"

"Can I have the check?"

"I need some napkins!"

"I just spilled some water!"

"Can we have some fruit tarts over here?"

"Where's the evening paper?"

Overwhelmed, Ichigo yelled, "Okay! Okay! I'll be right with you!" At the end of the day, or the end of her shift, Ichigo was basically on the ground, exhausted.

"You did great today. Let's closed up shop for now," Akasaka suggested. Ichigo was happy and relieved to hear that.

'_That was busy,'_ she thought. Then she said, "Thank goodness. My work's finally done!" Still exhausted, she tried to stand up and start walking towards the dressing room. The whole room actually felt dizzy for a bit and then Ichigo go used to it. She asked Keiichiro, "Where's Ryou?"

He answered, "I think he's upstairs. Dinner will be ready soon, Ichigo-san."

"Okay," she said.

Ichigo headed for the dressing room and changed back into her school uniform. When she gets back upstairs, she can change into something more comfortable. She went up the stairs and when she was only in front of her door, she remembered something.

'_Hold on! I need to say something here!'_ she realized. She stopped herself from opening the door to her room and started heading for the door at the end of the hall and on her right. _'After what I just went through, Ryou wouldn't come down to even say good job or something? What a jerk! His attitude sucks, he turned me into a biological weapon, makes me look for the others, and now I'm his slave at his always-busy-café! Unbelievable! He's going to hear an ear full of me by the time I get to his room!'_

While she was thinking that, she went all the way to the end of the hall. She was about to call his name but his door let out a creak to give her a small look of his room and when she looked through, she saw something unbelievable.

First off, he was shirtless. He was just standing by the window with a bottle of water, semi-wet hair, and jean pants that doesn't have its fly zippered up. Since his chest is bare, he is actually perfectly tan all around. No white marks or anything and he's perfectly well toned. The way the light is, what's left of it, has set the mood, Ichigo couldn't help but think that he's actually incredibly gorgeous.

'_What? What's he doing without a shirt on?'_ Ichigo wondered, turning red from the sight. Trying to advert her eyes away from him, she looked around to see what's his room is like. This is actually the first time that she's seen his room. _'All he has here is a computer and a bed. It's lonely and barren. I wonder if this would have been me after my parents died and I thought I was alone. If I didn't meet him, Keiichiro, Mint, Zakuro, or Kisshu, I think this is what my room would be like. I wonder…Did Ryou ever had someone else special in his heart before his parents died?'_

While she was thinking that, her eyes went back to Ryou's bare chest. She stared at him too long and when he actually finally noticed, she noticed that he saw her. They both freaked out and turned really red.

"What are you doing here?! Spying on me?" he asked her, quickly putting on a black sleeveless shirt.

Remembering her reasons, Ichigo tried to keep it together and said, "We need to talk! I've been working my butt off all evening and…" She couldn't finish. Both Ryou and her were too distracted with staring at each other. One was just caught staring at the other for too long and the other just caught the person staring at him.

Ryou finally let out, "I'm hungry! When's Keiichiro going to be done with dinner?" Ichigo thought about it for a bit and then headed out of the room.

"I'll be right back!" Ryou just looked confused.

Ichigo went down stars, to the kitchen, and took out a plate from the cupboard. Keiichiro noticed her presence when she headed for the rice cooker that was filled with cooked rice.

"Can't you wait a little longer?" he kindly asked. "Dinner will be ready very shortly."

She scooped up some rice and told him, "I know. I'm just getting a snack."

He didn't say anything else after that. He just watched as she wetted her hands and started molding the rice on the plate into two rice balls. For some reason, Keiichiro figured that those rice balls are not for her. He lightly smiled and then went back to cooking. Once the rice balls were finished, she took the plate of the two rice balls and went back upstairs to Ryou's room.

"Here you go!" she offered. He stared at it but took one to get a better look. She said, "I'm pretty good at making rice balls."

He said, "Rice balls? What a cheap meal?"

She got angry and asked, "Excuse me?" He took a bite and then stared at the rice ball in surprise. She noticed and asked, "What?"

He told her with a smile, "This is pretty good."

"Really?" she asked, eager and happily. But then she noticed something. He's smiling and this is an actual real, cherry smile.

'_What?'_ she started in her mind. _'What's with the sudden change in attitude? That smile-'_

She put the plate of food on the counter next to his bed and got out of there, saying, "Homework!"He watched her run out of his room and he watched her leave in confusion. Did he do something wrong?

As she was running down the stairs and outside to get some fresh air, Ichigo thought, _'Don't do this to me, jerk! That smile on your face……actually makes me very happy.'_ When she was outside, she had a smile on her face too.

"You seem awfully happy."

"Well, that's because-" Ichigo started but she stopped when she realized whose voice it was who just talked to her.

She turned towards the voice and she saw both Zakuro and Mint; Mint in a navy blue dress with a white ribbon tie and a white turn neck collar and Zakuro in jeans, a yellow shirt, and purple jacket. What startled Ichigo was that Mint was also holding a leash.

"Let's go, Ichigo!" Mint cried.

Ichigo freaked and asked, "When did you get back? Where are we going? And why are you holding a leash?"

Zakuro answered, "We came back just now and we're going to Okurmura high school. We just have this leash so you won't escape." Remembering the ghost stories from earlier, Ichigo freaked again but Mint put the leash on her before she could try to get away.

"Now, let's go."

"Nooooo!!"

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"Kish!" Deep Blue called. Immediately, a black orb appeared and then came Kish.

Kish bowed to him and he answered, "Deep Blue-sama, you called?"

"I understand that you found out that your brother, Sardon is dangling around with a human," Deep Blue stared.

Kish had on a smirk and told him, "It's true. But my lord, she's not just any human."

He told him, "I know of that too. To make things more interesting, the angels are going over to the high school right now to find her."

"Well that's not good, for Sardon."

"I have a little side mission for you. Can you accomplish this?"

"If it is what Deep Blue-sama wishes, then I'll do anything you desire."

Hearing that, Deep Blue grinned and got up from his throne. He walked over to Kish and ordered, "Stand up." Kish stood up and then Deep Blue had his hands on each side of his face, making him face him straight in the eyes. "I want you to persuade your brother into hating her. If he continues to be like how he is now, then we'll lose him. Make him despise her, make his heart ache in pain because of her, and make him want to kill her."

"It shall be done, my lord," Kish answered. He liked to hear that.

"That's a good agent." Then he leaned in closer to Kish with his eyes closed and Kish had his eyes closed too. Waiting…

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When the moon was high above the air and the darkness completely covered the Okurmura high school. That only made Ichigo shakes even more in fear.

Mint wondered out loud, "So this is Okurmura high? It's pretty big." All three of them were staring at the big three story building and Zakuro nodded in agreement. Ichigo only shivered like a leaf at the sight of it.

"Let's go and check the pool," Zakuro said walking towards the back.

"Right!" Mint agreed, fallowing right behind her.

Not wanting to be left behind, Ichigo yelled, "Wait for me!" She ran to catch up with them and stood by them, really close. But not to their knowledge on the top of the school, Kish was watching them and a wide smirk decorated his face. Now for the fun to begin.

They went to the pool and even though it's dark, they could clearly see that it looks like a regular pool and nobody is there. Mint said, "This…is the pool?"

Zakuro said, "Nothing's here. We should look around the school just in case."

Ichigo whined, "Schools are so creepy at night. Let's just go home already."

Zakuro mumbled, "And you call yourself an angel." Mint had a devilish smile on her face.

"What is that shadow over there?!" Mint asked. Zakuro could tell that she was faking it but Ichigo didn't. Her cat ears and her tail came out when she screamed.

"Aaaaaah!"

"I hear strange voices!"

"Noooo!!"

"Boo!"

"AAARGH!!"

While Ichigo is practically on the ground, shaking in total fear, Mint is laughing her head off and Zakuro is getting bored. Ichigo got up and glared at Mint.

"You scared me on purpose!!" Ichigo accused. Mint calmed down but still let out a few laughs.

"I guess I was just hearing things. Sorry," Mint giggled out. Zakuro rolled her eyes and started walking away.

She said, "In case you two are done, I'm going to search the school." Mint stopped her laughing and fallowed Zakuro.

"Wait for me!" she happily said. Ichigo got up and ran after them.

They went as far as twenty yards away from the pool, towards the back yard but there was nothing there either.

Mint asked, "Wasn't one of Lettuce's _friends_ coming to the school tonight to look for the _ghost_?"

"It was the whole reason why Ichigo attacked them with a fruit parfait," Zakuro answered. Ichigo only let out a two second growl after that.

She huffed and said, "Since there's nothing in the back, how about we just go—ooooo!!" When she was going to say 'go', she turned around and took a step forward but she tripped over something. She fell to the ground and both Mint and Zakuro turned to her in surprise from her 'ooooo's.

"Ichigo? What are you doing?" Mint asked.

Ichigo answered, getting up, "I just tripped on something. Ow!" All three of them looked where Ichigo tripped and they saw it; a living person.

"Oh my god!" Ichigo cried out. She ran to the girl and asked, "Are you okay? What's wrong?" The girl however was drenched to the bone from head to toe.

Noticing that she's wet, Zakuro said, "She's half drowned, just like the rumors."

"She's Lettuce's… What the heck is going on?" Mint asked.

Ichigo checked for breath and the girl's breathing. That's good but what happened?

Hearing them, the girl mumbled, "That girl…Lettuce…" Then the girl blacked out but she's still breathing.

"Lettuce?" Ichigo mumbled, remembering the girl from the café.

"Ichigo, let's go!" Mint cried. "Lettuce….is in danger!"

"Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!!"

"Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!!"

A blue, purple, and pink light shined out and dimmed to reveal Mew Mint, Mew Zakuro, and Mew Ichigo. After transforming, all three ran back towards the pool. After jumping over the gate, they looked all around the pool but just like last time, nothing.

"Where's Lettuce?" Ichigo asked in worry.

Mint yelled, "She has to be here somewhere? Maybe she's…"

"Don't think like that!" Ichigo yelled. "She's not dead and she's not the ghost!"

Mint thought, _'I was referring to have been transformed into a kirema anima but if you want to think like that…'_

Zakuro's neon purple eyes scanned the surface of the pool from the benches to the edge of the cement. But when she looked in the water, she saw bubbles coming out. She yelled, "It's in the water!"

"Uh?"

Both Mint and Ichigo turned around just when a huge swirl of water came out. It just stood there but Ichigo got this really bad feeling about it. Ichigo gulped and summoned her Strawberry Bell.

"Hey, ghost!" she yelled, her legs shaking.

"It's a kirema anima for the last time!" Mint yelled, but Ichigo ignored her.

Ichigo brought her paws up in a little cat pose and she cried out, "For your sins, I will purify thee –Nya!!" Getting the message, Zakuro summoned her whip and Mint summoned her bow. All three aimed it at the water and yelled out their attacks.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!"

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!"

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

Their attacks hit directly at the tower of water and it was destroyed right after that. The remaining drop of it landed either back in the pool or on the cement. Thinking that the tower of water was the kirema anima, or ghost, Ichigo relaxed.

"Now let's look for Lettuce!" she cheered.

Zakuro mumbled, "But I still can't see her."

"But she has to be here somewhere! Even if she was turned into a kirema anima, we have to find her body!" Right after Ichigo said that, another blast of water came from the pool and headed straight for her.

"Ichigo! Watch out!" Mint yelled. Ichigo reacted too slow. When she turned around to see that blast of water come at her, it landed on her and pulled her into the pool. "Ichigo!!"

To Mint and Zakuro, they thought that the water pulled her in but Ichigo felt hands on her shoulders that were pushing her to the bottom of the twelve foot deep pool. She didn't have time to breath before she went in the water and the deeper she was pulled, the more pressure on her ears and the more air she lost. She can't breathe and she doesn't have the strength to push away whoever is doing this to her.

Seeing them from the surface, Mint aimed her bow again and yelled, "Get off of her!!" She attacked and the arrow separated both the stranger and Ichigo. Zakuro dove in and helped Ichigo to come back to the surface. Ichigo coughed and tried to take in deep breathes. "Oh my god!" Mint mumbled.

Both Zakuro and Ichigo looked up and they saw the stranger who tried to kill Ichigo. In a wet Okurmura high school uniform with wet hair stood the very person they were looking for. Lettuce is standing in mid air right above the water.

Ichigo couldn't believe it as she mumbled, "Lettuce?"

Lettuce was staring at them in with hard eyes and her expression was serious. It was so different then the girl that they all just met at the café earlier. Then Lettuce started singing.

_Feliz cumpleaños a ti  
Feliz cumpleaños a ti_

_Feliz cumpleaños, feliz cumpleaños  
Feliz cumpleaños a ti_

While she was singing that verse, she raised up her arms and then four towers of water formed from the top of the pool. She swung her arms in front of her and the water went charging at the angels. Mint dodged two of them by the air while both Zakuro and Ichigo went back under water. They came back up and Lettuce just grunted in frustration.

Mint asked, "How can she control the water? She doesn't look like a kirema anima!"

Zakuro and Ichigo climbed out of the pool and Zakuro said, "Maybe she's not a kirema anima."

As if right on queue, Lettuce lifted her arms up again as if they were having difficulty. Then in one swing, she lifted them up over her head and the water came up to wrap around her. In the process, a blue light shined from the inside and the angels had to cover their eyes to block it.

Many changes happened to Lettuce's body inside the water cocoon. In the process of her transformation, she heard the soft music of both Mexican and Italian music playing and she felt the pure bliss and warmth of it. When the light faded, the water collapsed and revealed to the other angels what she really is.

Lettuce now has neon green eyes and hair. Her hair is still the same as her usual look and she still has human ears. But on her head is two long light green ribbons sticking out from the top of her head that was as long her body. On her neck has a light green collar with white trimmings with a golden blotch, similar to that of the other angels. Her outfit was a light green strapless top that looked a lot like Ichigo's top but the front triangles are about three inches shorter than Ichigo's triangles and the two back triangles are five inches longer than her front. Her bottom is a light green skirt that was about six inches above her ankles and looks very open. Hanging from her waist to the end of the skirt is a light white ribbon that hangs in the middle of the skirt. Her arms have on green arm bracelets and that's all; no gloves or wrist bands. Her shoes are green one inch ribbon sandals. Behind her are white shoulder length angel wings and a halo hovered above her head.

Surprised to see her like that, Mint mumbled, "It can't be…She's…"

"She's one of our kind?" Ichigo finished.

Lettuce smiled and then raised her hands up above her head. "Lettuce Tanets!" she yelled. In her hands, green tanets appeared in her hands and she started playing them. Ichigo got nervous as Lettuce yelled, "Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

Then water, shaped like blades went straight for them. Being a cat, Ichigo was able to swiftly get out of the way but not Zakuro or Mint. They both got hit and were forced to the gate. Their heads hit the metal poles and they collapsed to the ground, feeling too weak to quickly move.

"Zakuro! Mint!" Ichigo yelled. She looked back at Lettuce was staring at her too.

"Now it's your turn," she told her.

Ichigo wondered, _'Why? Why is she attacking us?'_ She yelled, "Lettuce, stop this!!"

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!" Her attacks went straight for Ichigo but like last time, she dodged them. Lettuce mumbled, "Next time…I won't miss."

'_What am I supposed t do?'_ Ichigo wandered. _'I just discovered another partner.'_ Ichigo knows that fighting Lettuce is wrong but what choice does she have?

Ichigo summoned her Strawberry Bell. _'I guess I have no choice.'_ "Ribbon--" Ichigo didn't finish. Right when she was ready to aim her weapon her, she saw tears escaping Lettuce's eyes. _'Wait a minute! Is she…'_

Ichigo lowered her weapon and asked, "Lettuce…You're scared, aren't you?" Lettuce flinched at that as both Zakuro and Mint were trying to sit up to listen well to what Ichigo asked. "Listen to me! I don't want to hurt you! Inside, I know you're a sweet person who wouldn't hurt anyone but why are you hurting humans? You're supposed to protect them! Not hurt them! Why are you doing this?!"

Lettuce looked upset as she yelled, "You don't know anything!" Ichigo shut up to listen as Mint and Zakuro listened too. "No one understands me! I tried to be friends with everyone but all these things keep happening to me! No one understands me but him!" Zakuro noticed that but Ichigo and Mint apparently didn't listen to that. They were too involved with what she said before that.

Mint got up and used the gate to help her as she said to her, "We know exactly how you feel! In the beginning for us, we had no idea what was going on! Suddenly Ichigo can't stay up in the morning, I seem to be more graceful in my dancing, and onee-sama has been moving faster than before! You're not alone, Lettuce!" Lettuce looked like she took a step back and she looked like she's about to cry from Mint's words.

Ichigo yelled, "You just have no idea of what to do with yourself, right? That's the reason why you're doing this!"

Weakly, Lettuce mumbled, "Shut…up!!"

Ichigo answered, "I won't shut up! I know you're a sweet person, Lettuce! I know I'm right because I know you!"

"Just shut up all of you!!" Lettuce yelled, holding her head in her hands. Her sobs echoed in the silence and her tears fell to join the chlorine water in the pool. "I just…..can't…take it…anymore. I can never be friends with anyone!!" Ichigo bit her lip as Mint's expressions soften at the crying Lettuce.

Mint said, "It's alright, you hear me?" Lettuce stopped crying to look at Mint as she continued. "We're not really hurt and the girl is okay too. Your classmates will just think it was a ghost. We'll forgive you. After all, that's what angels do right? Forgive."

Lettuce blinked and asked, "Angels?"

"Yes," Mint answered. "We're all angels, even you. Forgiving is one of special specialties."

"No!!" Both Lettuce and Mint looked at Ichigo from her cry as she said in a stern voice, "There is no excuse for hurting humans. I'm sorry but I can't forgive her just yet." Ichigo gripped her Strawberry Bell and Lettuce knew what is coming. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. "For your sins…"

"Ichigo!" Mint yelled. She started running towards them but Zakuro held out her hand to stop her.

"Wait!" she mumbled to her. Mint stopped and watched.

Ichigo got into a pouncing position and when she launched, she grabbed Lettuce and started tickling her. "I will purify thee – Nya!" Lettuce was caught off by that and Mint just looked like she was tricked on an April's Fools Day joke.

Lettuce started laughing and then started falling into the water. At the last moment, she yelled, "Wait! I can't swim!"

_Splash_

Both of them went straight into the water. In the water, Ichigo got off of Lettuce and pulled her up to the surface. Apparently, they landed as far as the shallow side of the pool so they were standing in the water. Ichigo continued to tickle Lettuce and she was letting out happy laughs.

"Stop it!" Lettuce laughed out.

Ichigo told her, "No! You have to promise that you'll never do it again!" Ichigo took a break from tickling and gently hugged Lettuce. She turned red from the hug as Ichigo told her, "Besides, we're already friends, right?"

Zakuro lightly smiled and asked, "So that's the agreement?" Mint crossed her arms and smiled at the scene.

Finally, Lettuce gave them a true smile as she giggled, "I promise I'll never do it again. I'm sorry, Ichigo-san, Mint-san, and Zakuro-san." Right after that, Mint jumped in the water.

She came up and said, "I'm going to join you two!" Ichigo knew what she came in for.

"Wait! Don't tickle me, Mint!" she yelled, but she didn't stop.

Mint went up to Ichigo and started tickling her. Now it was Ichigo's laughs that rang out the most in the night. Zakuro just smiled at the scene as Lettuce was laughing at how funny Ichigo and Mint are trying to tickle the other. But it was her laughs that made the person hiding in the shadows hurt.

In the shadows, not far from the pool but has a good view of it, Pai stood there watching them. He saw the smile on Lettuce's face and the laughs she let out. As he watched them, he couldn't help but feel the stabbing pain of sadness and loneliness hit his heart.

"Ah, don't be so blue, Sardon," someone said. Sardon looked from the pool to above him to see Kish flouting in the air with his hand behind his head and his legs crossed while laying down like he's on solid ground.

Sardon coldly told him, "I don't have time to deal with you, right now. Go find some human to feed on." Kish got out of his lying down position and went into sitting cross legged position with his hands on his feet.

"Don't be so cruel, nii-san," he told him. "The pain you're feeling is only temporary. Just hate her and the pain will go away."

"What pain?" Pai asked.

Kish landed on the ground and leaned on the wall. "Well, look at them," he told him. Pai looked as Kish explained, "See how happy she looks? The friendly, pure smile she's giving them. Those high pitch laugh that rings throughout the night. Face it, Sardon. She's better off without you because she found other people to share her pain with."

Pai looked at Kish and asked, "What do you mean?"

Kish smirked and answered, "I found out what happened on the day you both found out that you're not ordinary humans anymore. You two were close weren't you? You spend almost every waking moment with each other because you both believed that no one will understand the pain of being freaks. You both thought that humans are things that can't understand your pain, right? So you told Lettuce to get her revenge by half drowning her classmates while you were eating criminals. Now look at you two. You're in the shadows with someone who completely understands you while she's over there laughing away with people who understand her. I told you it was a bad idea to go having a relationship with an angel. You two are meant to be enemies and you two can't even touch one another when either one of you is in your agent form or your angel form."

Kish's right and it hurt Pai knowing that he is. Pai gritted his teeth and Kish had a devilish smile across his face and he bared his teeth. He walked up to Pai and leaned on his shoulder while saying, "Hate her, Sardon. It's okay to hate. If you hate her, then the pain will cease. If you kill her then the pain will go away."

"Kill her?" Pai asked, surprised to hear that. He brushed Kish off him as he said, "That's out of the question!"

Kish took a few steps back and asked him, "Why? She doesn't care about you anymore." That hurt Pai right in the chest. Kish giggle at the pain expression that his brother has. "Just think about it for a little bit longer. Trust me, hating her and wanting to kill her makes it so much easier." Right after that, Kish teleported away by his usual black orb. Pai watched the scene a little bit longer and soon the happy expression Lettuce still has was too much to bare.

"He's right."

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_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

Surprised by the ring, Ichigo jumped a little before she reached for her cell phone in her pocket. As she took it out, the sun shined warm rays upon her skin and she felt the cool breeze brush her hair against her skin and cause her school uniform to flap against her body.

She answered, "Hello?"

**Kisshu: Hi Ichigo. Sorry but I can't come to school today.**

**Ichigo: Why not?**

**Kisshu: Because my older brother got home sick and apparently, I have to take care of him.**

**Ichigo: I'm sorry. What does he have?**

**Kisshu: A bad case of broken heart.**

**Ichigo: He had a girl?**

**Kisshu: Yep and now he's suffering from it and I have to comfort him. I'm sorry.**

**Ichigo: No it's okay! I'll be fine. But you'll be at school tomorrow right?**

**Kisshu: Of course.**

**Ichigo: Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow.**

**Kisshu: Okay. Bye!**

**Ichigo: Bye!**

After that, Ichigo hang up and let out a depressed sigh.

'_Guess I better get to school then.'_

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Lettuce ran as fast as she could to the school. Her 'friends', or the remains of it, were calling her but she ignored them. She's in a happy mood today because of what happened last night. She ran as fast as she could to get to the doctor's office.

'_I have to tell him about Ichigo-san, Mint-san, and Zakuro-san! He'll be so happy that there are others who accepts people like us!'_ she thought in pure bliss. No wonder she's so happy.

When she opened it, she called, "Pai-sensei!" But all she saw was a nurse at the front desk. She looked all over the room but no Pai. She asked, "Excuse me, but where's Pai-sensei?"

The nurse answered, "I'm sorry, but Pai-senpai isn't coming today. Apparently he's sick and won't come to work for a while."Lettuce lost her smile at that.

"He's sick? What's wrong with him?" she asked worried.

The nurse only answered, putting some papers back on the desk, "I'm sorry but that's all I know." Lettuce's face fell and she stared at the ground, depressed. The nurse looked at her again and asked, "Are you alright? Did you have a certain business with him that I might help with?"

Lettuce shook her head. "It's nothing important. I just hope that Pai-senpai gets better soon."

"So do I," the nurse mumbled and then went back with her business. Since she looks busy, Lettuce decided to leave her alone.

She closed the doctor's office door behind her and just leaned on the closed door. She looked out the window across from her and wondered.

'_I hope he's okay?'_


	9. Pudding Fong: Last and Lonely Member

**A/N: Hello everyone!! I am so sorry that I haven't updated in a while but I forget to tell you that I went on a trip for four days and I couldn't bring my computer. That was torture when I got so many ideas but I didn't have any place to put them. But I do have a treat for all of you.**

**Today is the day that the first chapter of the sequel to my first story will be revealed. Hooray!! The wait is over!! Let's have a party!!**

**Kuro: I wonder if the others will agree once they read it.**

**Tsukiko: Shut up, will ya for once. That is a great story and I hope you all enjoy it!!**

**Kuro: -rolled her eyes- Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. She loves hearing from those who help her with some problems that could be happening in her story.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When someone dear to you has taken the most important thing from you, would you still love them?_

Ch. 9: Pudding Fong: Last and Lonely Member

_Crash_

_Crash_

_Crash_

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Lettuce apologized as she bowed to Mint and Zakuro. That's the tenth dish that she broke today.

Mint told her, trying to control her anger, "It's okay, Lettuce…You just started so don't…blame yourself." Lettuce wasn't at all fooled by Mint hiding her anger.

She bowed and said, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Zakuro let out a sigh and asked, "Is there something wrong? You only broke three dishes yesterday but today, you're really clumsy." Lettuce stood up and frantically shook her hands in front of her shaking head.

"Oh there's nothing wrong! Nothing wrong at all!" She stopped and went to the back. "I need a broom!" Zakuro and Mint only watch in both curiosity and suspicion.

Lettuce went to the back to get to the closet. She found it and opened it to look for a broom and a dust pan. When she found them, she grabbed them but she didn't pull them out. She tried once but it felt like her hand was too weak to pull them out. Her eyes were half way shut and they were sad. She only had one thing on her mind like how she has for the past couple of days since the day after she joined.

'_Pai-sensei, where are you? Are you alright? Did something happen? Pai-sensei…'_

After a few minutes, she pulled the broom and the dust pan out and went back into the café area. She went to the broken dishes and started sweeping the dishes into the dust pan. Mint was back at her table, drinking some tea and Zakuro was joining her.

Mint asked, "Onee-sama, when do you think Ichigo will come back with the groceries? It's already been half an hour."

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"Geez!!" Ichigo whined as she went up the stairs to the bridge so she could get to the other side of the street. Reason she's whining is because she is carrying two heavy groceries bags full of apples and turnips. With her is Kisshu with two other bags full of that too. He didn't look like he's struggling like how his girlfriend is.

"Why do I end up with so much stuff when I go shopping alone?" she whined again. Kisshu glared at her for that.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, insulted. "I'm here, aren't I?"

She answered, "Only for a couple of hours before the sun sets." Her arms started wiggling and she mumbled, "So….heavy…" Then her arms gave up. She dropped the bags of apples and turnips. Kisshu stopped walking and only watch as Ichigo was sitting down, her arms crossed. "This is what happens when they make me do everything! Just because the dancing teacher is sick, they decided that since I don't have dance lessons, I should go to the store and pick up the groceries."

"Well it's a good thing I'm here otherwise all of these apples and turnips will be smashed and bruises," Kisshu told her as he put his bags down and leaning on the rail.

"Oh, shut up will you!" she grumbled, looking away. When she did, she noticed the view of the part. Kisshu noticed it too and they both saw the nice, peaceful park with a fountain in the middle of it on the other side of the bridge. It looked really relaxing and Ichigo expressed that. "How nice…" she dreamily stated. Kisshu got an idea from that.

"Well if what you said is true, then they're going to make you work the moment you get back there." Hearing that, Ichigo shunned. "But…" Ichigo looked at him and he said, "I'm sure they don't mind if we're a little late. So how about we take a little brake in the park? You can even call it a short five minute date." Ichigo's eyes perked up from that.

"You're the best!" she cheered, getting up and hugging him.

"Whoo!" he let out, almost falling off. With her arms still around his neck, he balanced himself with his hands on her waist and they looked down at the highway. One look made them nervous.

"Good save," she breathed out.

He let out a small chuckle and mumbled, "Yeah." They looked at each other after that. His golden eyes met with her dark red ones. Her eyes turned glossy and his soften. He closed his eyes half way and leaned in. She leaned in too with her eyes closed.

"Excuse me." They stopped and looked at the end they entered the bridge and they saw a kid with a dog. He asked, "Can you two lovebirds finish that somewhere else. We would like to move here." Both Kisshu and Ichigo looked behind him and there was practically a line waiting to cross and most of them had goo-goo eyes for what Kisshu and Ichigo almost did. They turned bright red right after that.

Ichigo let go of Kisshu and picked up her items quickly and then got up. Both her and Kisshu just ran to get to the other side and to the nearest bench in the park. They put their bags down and then collapses on the bench.

'_That was close!'_ they thought, their chest going up and down at different paces.

Ichigo let out a chuckle and scratched the back of her head as she mumbled, "That was…"

Kisshu stood up straighter and asked, "Heart pounding?"

"I guess we can say that for now." After that, they both laughed.

Ichigo leaned on Kisshu's shoulder and he laid his head on top of hers. Their hands entwined with each other's and their eyes were closed to relax in that short amount of time. Ichigo let out a sigh and she mumbled, "The park is so…won-der-ful."

He breathed out, "Yeah."

The gentle breeze cooled them off and lightly flapped their clothing against their bodies. The wind also lightly made their hair brush against their skin.

They thought, _'The wind…feels so good.'_

_Clap_

_Clap_

_Clap_

They opened their eyes for the disturbance of their peaceful moment and looked to where the sound is coming from. Not too far from them is a group of adults clapping and there's two children there. One of them is a boy and the other is a girl. The girl is jumping on her feet and then her hands as the boy was holding a hat and going around. As he passed, adults were putting tips inside. The girl lightly giggled and the boy only smiled at the audience. The girl has short blonde hair but with four small braids in the back. Her tan skin is letting out a healthy glow and she looks really thin. Must be from all of the tricks she's doing. Her honey brown eyes were gleaming with happiness. The boy looked different. He's skin is pale and he's skinny too. His eyes look like a dark gold, even from afar. His hair is a bright red and it's up in two pony tails but not all his hair was up like that. When Kisshu saw him, his mouth dropped.

The girl said to everyone, "Thank you, na no da! Thank you all for watching, na no da!!" When she looked around, she saw the two couple watch too and so did the boy. A little shine sparkled in their eyes.

Ichigo only said, "Wow. A children's performance! I wonder if they're elementary students." She rested back on Kisshu's shoulder but then…

"Hello!!"

"Hello, na no da!!'

Both Ichigo and Kisshu flinched back in surprise from the sudden cheers and that was when the boy saw Kisshu. He dropped his little smile and stepped back in terror.

The boy asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Kisshu stood up and yelled, "I should ask you the same thing! I thought you said that you were busy today!"

"Well…I…That's not important!" he yelled. "What I want to know is why are you here with an old hag?!"

"What are you doing here with a baby?!"

"Excuse me."

They both looked at Ichigo and the little girl and Ichigo asked, not happy to hear what the boy called him, "Mind telling me who this little midget is?" Kisshu covered her mouth right after that.

"Don't call him a midget," he whispered. "He doesn't like that."

The girl went to the boy and asked, "You know him, Taru-Taru?"

Kisshu asked, "Taru-Taru? What's with the nickname?" He turned red from that.

"Shut up will ya! That is none of your concern!"

"It is when someone didn't tell me that you now have a girlfriend."

"First off! She's not my girlfriend. She's only a friend, and second!! You never said anything about you dating until now, nii-san!"

Ichigo heard that while Kisshu covered his mouth and whispered, "Don't say that! Didn't nii-san tell you anything?" He whispered that so softly that Ichigo didn't exactly heard it.

Ichigo's eyes beamed and she asked, "Is this your little brother, Kisshu?" Kisshu had that oh-crap face while the boy looked confused.

Kisshu told her, "N-N-No, he's not! He only calms me that as a sign of respect. He knows Pai too but Pai was his first so he cams him 'nii-sama' while he calls me 'nii-san.'" The boy only glared at Kisshu as he pulled his hand off his mouth.

Ichigo's eyes lost their shine as she asked, "So what's his name?"

"Taruto."

"And I'm Pudding!!" Their attention went back to the girl as she announced. "Since Taru-Taru knows onii-chan over here, I'll entertain his girlfriend, na no da! I'll do a performance just for you so watch, na no da!"

"Um…I…But…" Ichigo mumbled but she had no idea what to say.

Taruto stood next to Kisshu and told him, "You're girlfriend's doomed."

Kisshu looked at him in a curious way but Taruto rushed up behind Pudding as Pudding jumped up and did a summersault. She landed on her hands that were against Taruto's hands. She pushed herself up and he did a back flip. They both landed on their feet and they were side by side. Kisshu watched in little impressive matter as Ichigo watched in amazement.

Pudding cheered, "Gather around and come watch as the great Pudding and the great Taru-Taru do a brilliant act!" Taruto backed away and prepared a big ball. Pudding did a back flip and she landed on the big ball. She started walking on it with her hands and said, "Look, I'm walking on the ball, na no da!" As she did a few tricks and Ichigo started clapping, Taruto took out some long sticks and dishes.

Kisshu went up and asked, "What is this?"

He answered, "An act can't you tell?" Pudding safely got off the ball and Taruto tossed the sticks. When they were balanced, he tossed the dishes and she balanced them; two sticks on her arms, three on her back, one on her head, and four on her left leg. She stood on her right leg.

"I'll balance plates now, na no da!"

Ichigo eyes beamed as Kisshu asked, "I mean why is that girl doing all the tricks?"

Taruto got some feathers and some makeup markers as he answered, "Because I only told her that I wouldn't do any embarrassing tricks. I'll present with her and I get things ready while she entertains. I even collect afterwards."

"What do you mean by embarrassing? Her tricks are pretty neat."

"Wait till you see this one."

Safely, Pudding put the plates and the sticks down and Taruto tossed her the markers and the feathers. She caught them, turned her back towards Ichigo, and got ready. She lifted up her orange Chinese shirt and drew a face on it. She put marks on her face and put the feathers in her pants to present. She faced Ichigo and started swaying her stomach around.

"A Plucky Act, now na no da!"

Ichigo lost most of her excitement but she mumbled,"…Wow!...That is…"

"Now I get it," Kisshu dryly said.

Taruto nodded as he got the water spray and the napkins ready. Pudding stopped and went to Taruto. He sprayed water on her face and her stomach as she passed him the feathers. He took it and she took the napkins. She started wiping the makeup away as he gave her a bottle of oil and a lit match. She put her shirt down and took a small sip of the oil. With it still in her mouth, she grabbed the match and went in front of Ichigo again. She faced the other way and spited the oil at the match; huge fire.

"Fire!!"

"Awesome!!" Ichigo cheered.

Taruto got out an old Japanese umbrella and a white hand size ball. When she was done, she blew out the match and he passed her the umbrella and white ball. She threw the ball up and opened the umbrella. She started spinning the umbrella and the ball landed on it and stayed there; going up and down to stay on it.

"I'm rotating this even more today, na no da!!"

"More!"

Taruto took out a cylinder, a wooden plate, and a rubber ladder. Pudding rotated the ball off the umbrella and towards Taruto. She closed the umbrella and tossed it to him. He caught them as he rolled the other objects to her. She put the wooden plate on the cylinder and then the ladder on the plate. She got on and stood on one hand as she balanced on it.

"It's wiggling, na no da!"

"Yahoo!"

Taruto took out a cannon and a helmet. Pudding got off and took the helmet. She went inside and Kisshu was just staring. Taruto lit the fuse.

_Boom_

"Boom, na no da!!"

"GO, GO!!"

After that set of tricks, Taruto collapsed to the ground. Kisshu only mumbled, "Give me one good reason why I didn't see this coming? Looks like to me you took the more difficult job." Pudding helped Taruto up and they both posed in front of Ichigo, each of them breathing heavy. Ichigo continued to clap for the performance. Kisshu decided to clap too, out of sympathy for the two kids.

"Ta-da!!" They yelled.

"That was amazing!" Ichigo told them.

Pudding asked, "Really?"

Taruto went back to Kisshu and said, "I hope you're girlfriend really, really appreciates it."

Kisshu asked, "Didn't you hear her yelling and cheering?"

"When I mean 'appreciates it', I mean like really, really appreciates it."

Confused by that, Kisshu looked up and he saw Ichigo starting to leave. After she got her bags, she started walking away and then suddenly, Pudding was right in front of her again.

"Then please give me a tip," Pudding asked with her hand out.

"Now I see," Kisshu mumbled. Taruto only nodded and they both watched.

Being taken back by that sudden ask, Ichigo asked, "Uh?"

"Tip, tip, tip, tip, tip, tip, tip," she said, continuously saying that.

"I really can't…" Ichigo mumbled. But she just kept saying 'tip'. Getting enough, Ichigo went inside her purse and dug out something. She handed it to Pudding and she stopped saying tip.

Pudding smiled big and said, "Thank you, na no da!" Ichigo handed her the 'money' and then started to fast walk away.

"See ya!" Ichigo departed.

Pudding looked inside her hand and she only saw a few pieces of candy in her hand. She was fooled.

She went up to Ichigo and grabbed the back of her shirt and cried, "Wait!"

"Sorry, but I have money problems too!" Ichigo told her, trying to get away. Pudding accidently let go and she fell down. Ichigo looked back at her and Pudding crawled to her feet.

"I did that with all of my heart!!" Pudding cried. She looked at Ichigo with teary, pleading eyes and her voice sounded like she was crying too. "My act was so bad, na no da. If only I did it a little better, na no da." Hearing her cry, the people in the park started to gather around to see what the fuss was about.

Kisshu asked, "Pushy isn't she?"

Taruto explained, "Once it gets to the teary eye look, you better pay or she'll cause a scene."

Not noticing the people, yet, Ichigo told her, "There's no need to get so upset about it." Then she noticed the crowd.

Pudding stopped crying and happily said, like there was nothing wrong, "Then I'll have to show you my best trick!" Taruto took out a black hat and passed it to Pudding. She caught it and Ichigo looked at Pudding while she said, "A shark will come out of this silk hat – byuuu!" When the shark appeared, Kisshu wasn't shocked but being so close, Ichigo was horrified.

"Eyyyaaa!!" she yelled.

From the excitement, her ears and her tail came out and she dropped her groceries. Kisshu was shocked by then and he was nervous. Taruto saw the ears and tail too and he was only shocked but like cautious shocked. The other humans saw it too but they thought it was an act. The shark that Pudding summoned bit her tail and pulled, but not too much. The audience started to applause while Kisshu was shaking. The shark was a fake and it was really Pudding's hand that caught the tail.

"Oh, you should've said that you could perform an act, too," Pudding told the upset and nervous Ichigo. "The ears and the tail are very well made." Hearing that, both Ichigo and Kisshu breathed out a sigh of relief.

Pudding dropped the hat and started pulling on the tail. "How does this thing work?" she asked. Ichigo and Kisshu got nervous again. Since it wouldn't budge, Pudding started pulling hard. Ichigo tensed up in pain while Pudding said, "It won't come off!" She pulled the tail hard enough that Ichigo went back. Pudding grabbed the ears and she said in amazement, "These ears are warm! They can't be!" Ichigo covered her mouth and let out a laugh to humor the audience.

"That will end our performance for today!!" She grabbed Pudding and started running away, really fast. "Goodbye!!" Both Taruto and Kisshu were left behind while the humans scattered away.

"They left," Taruto said.

Kisshu said, "Looks like it." He let out a sigh and went to his pocket. He took out a twenty and passed it to Taruto. "Give this to that Pudding girl, okay? Take it as a tip." When Taruto looked at the tip, he looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

"Nii-sama is going to kill you if he finds out!" he yelled.

Kisshu huffed and said, "Not like he cares at the moment. He's still in bead moaning for some girl." Since he mentioned that, Taruto couldn't help but agree.

"You're right about that. For someone who used to be so hard sometimes, who would have thought that losing a girl could put this kind of an affect on him?"

"Indeed," Kisshu responded. When he noticed the apples and the turnip on the floor, he walked over to the fallen groceries. "Looks like I'll just have to deliver this myself then."

"Why are you doing this for her anyway?" Taruto asked.

"Would you do the same if that Pudding girl was asked to do something but she was held back?"

Taruto was taken back after that but answered, "Yeah."

"Since now, I know what you've been doing almost every night, are you coming home tonight?" Kisshu asked, picking up the groceries.

Taruto answered, "I promised Pudding-san that I'll help her tonight."

"I see. I'll tell nii-san that you have a sleep over."

Taruto smiled at him and said, "Thanks, bro." Kisshu picked up his other bags and started walking away.

"You own me!"

"Don't I always? Tomorrow, I make steak for dinner!"

"Make it lunch!" _'Since I can't seem to remember a damn thing about what happens when the sun goes down.'_

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_Huff_

_Huff_

_Huff_

Ichigo was breathing hard from the sudden dash she had to do. She leaned on the wall she was sitting in front of with Pudding still in her hands; one holding her and the other covering her mouth. Pudding stayed as silent as she could while Ichigo was trying to breathe again. Ichigo didn't run very far because she's under the bridge but she did had to make a sudden dash with a girl in her arms. Ichigo looked around and there was no one in sight.

She went back to Pudding and told her, "There's a reason for this. Please don't shout." Pudding closed her eyes, her cheeks red as she nodded.

"Hm hm," she answered.

Ichigo asked, "Do you understand?"

"Hm hm."

"Really?"

"Hm hm!"

"For real?"

"Hm hm!!"

Thinking that it's safe, Ichigo let out a breather and released Pudding's mouth. Probably a bad idea.

"They're REAL, na no da!!" she shouted, when her mouth was free. Ichigo started to freak while Pudding was jumping around doing cartwheels, flips, leaps, and other kinds of acrobatic tricks. She started yelling in pure joy, "The ears are real, na no da!! It's a cat, na no da!! It's a cat, na no da!!" Pudding faced Ichigo again and gave her the excited as all heck look. "That's so cool, na no da!! I want ears like yours too, na no da!!" The last part took Ichigo off guard. Pudding backed away and said, "So please make me your pupil, na no da!"

"Uh but…It's not…" Ichigo mumbled, but Pudding didn't listen to that.

"It's okay, na no da? Wee, so happy!!" Pudding cheered.

"So…"

"Now then, let's start the touch training that will leads to glory, na no da!! Ears ears ears ears ears ears…!!" She just kept saying that while Ichigo was frozen as stone.

"Ah…. Hello…"

Pudding still didn't listen. She grabbed Ichigo's hand and started pulling her back to where they left Taruto and Kisshu. Ichigo was still stone so she didn't make any defenses to stop her. Once they returned, it was only Taruto who was waiting for them.

"Taru-Taru!!" Pudding cheered, when they arrived.

Taruto lifted up his hand in greeting as he greeted, "Yo! What's up?"

Pudding answered, "Neko ears onee-chan is going to teach me how to get my own ears, na no da."

"She is?"

Ichigo finally came back and yelled, "No I'm not!!" She looked around and asked, "Hey, where's Kisshu?"

Taruto answered, "He left a tip and then went to go deliver the groceries for you. I guess you now have time to teach Pudding-san to get ears."

"Really, na no da? Horray, na no da!!" Pudding cheered again.

Ichigo thought, _'Why you little midget!'_

"So what should I do first, na no da?" Pudding asked Ichigo. She looked back at the excited girl while she asked, "Bunny hoping? Bungee jumping?"

"But I can't teach…"

"Now, what do I do, na no da? What do I do, na no da?" Pudding asked, ignoring Ichigo's denials.

"You better teach her or she'll make that scene again," Taruto warned. Ichigo did not want that. She needs to think of something fast.

"Well," she started. Then she thought of it, "Do ten laps around the park while riding a ball."

'_How is that going to give her ears?'_ Taruto wondered. Pudding's eyes beamed with excitement again.

"That's an easy task, na no da! I'll do it right away, na no da," she answered. Ichigo was surprised to hear that. Pudding got on the big ball that Taruto passed to her and she went off. "Zoom!!" She's out of here!

"She's gone," Ichigo mumbled. Taruto nodded.

He suggested, "If you want to leave now, then you better. Ten laps is going to be a while." Ichigo stared in surprise of him but took his offer.

"Good bye!!" she yelled, running away. Taruto only shook his head in disapproval.

"Now what kind of excuse do I have to use to explain how she got away?"

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"I'm here!!" Ichigo cried, entering the café. First person who greeted her is Mint.

"Where were you?" she asked. "What was so important that you had to leave Kisshu into delivering all of the groceries?" The word 'groceries' reminded Ichigo that she dropped hers on when Pudding surprised her with a shark puppet.

She asked, "He did?" Mint nodded, still not pleased.

"Mint, leave her alone." Ichigo looked up and she saw Kisshu back in that waiter outfit from the last time he helped café. He walked towards them with a wash cloth in his hands.

She asked, "Why are you in that suit again?"

Kisshu looked at himself and answered, "Since you weren't here yet and I thought the girl could keep you a while so I decided to help for a bit. I have to go home in an hour."

"I see," she said. "I'm sorry."

"It's not a bother. The more I come here, the more used to I get of the place." Mint wrapped her arms around his arm and leaned on him.

"Also the outfit makes you really handsome, Kisshu. You should actually take a permanent job here. That way we can see each other all the time," she told him. Kisshu felt a dark force nearby so he got nervous. He looked to the side and Ichigo was burning with jealousy.

Kisshu pulled his hand back and told her, "Thanks for the offer, but I have a sick brother at home and I have to take care of him." Lettuce, who was inside the kitchen, heard that and she sticks her head out to listen.

Ichigo asked, "You mean he's still love sick."

Kisshu crossed his arms and answered, "Yep. It's amazing to me because he's usually not the kind of guy who could love anyone. I wonder what kind of girl broke his heart." Lettuce clings at that. She didn't listen anymore as she leaned on the wall. Her mood only got sadder as she went back to washing dishes.

"You three," Zakuro called. All three of them looked and they saw Zakuro wiping tables as she said, "You three can chit chat all you want but customers are coming soon. Get ready."

"Yes, onee-sama!" Mint answered as she went to get the brooms.

Ichigo leaned towards Kisshu and said, "Zakuro is the only one who can make Mint do any work around here." Kisshu couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Then he asked, "How did you get rid of Pudding anyway?"

She answered, "Your friend helped. After I told her to do about ten laps around the park while riding a ball, he told me that I could leave." Kisshu looked like he had a horror filled face on.

"You shouldn't have let him do that."

"Why not?"

"Because he has a way of making you look like the bad guy and he look like the victim."

She got it. "You mean…" Kisshu nodded. Then Ichigo burst into flames.

'_Why that little brat! The next time I see him, I'm going to make sure he doesn't make any lies about me again!!'_ she thought. Seeing her react like that Kisshu couldn't help but smile. He hugged her from behind and all of her anger was lost from his hold. In fact, her face went from red in anger to red in embarrassment.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll make sure to teach him a few lessons the next time I see him." Ichigo narrowed her eyes at that.

"Are you telling me that you'll threat a child when that happens?" she asked, facing him. He looked both shocked and appalled.

"Me threaten a child? Honey, you lost your mind."

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"What the hell did you tell that monkey girl? If you don't tell me soon, I'm going to punch every single white tooth in your mouth!!"

"Why are you threatening a kid and your younger brother at that, too!!"

Apparently, Kisshu didn't live up to what he told Ichigo. In fact when he asked her why she would think like that of him, his fingers were crossed. Right before the café opened, Kisshu apologized but told Ichigo that he had to go home early to see how his big brother is. She understood completely and he left, right before Mint had the chance to say her 'goodbyes'. Ichigo was grateful that she didn't get the chance. Since it was about an hour before sunset, Kisshu went all over the park to see if Taruto is still in the park. Apparently, he hasn't left that area that they were before. Pudding wasn't even there so it was a perfect opportunity to just argue.

"Look! I don't care if you were even nii-san!! Now what did you tell Pudding because knowing you, you could have made it look like she tied you up and she ran off!" Kisshu yelled. Taruto was surprised by that and took a step back.

"How did you know that I did that?" he asked.

In disbelief, Kisshu asked, "You mean you actually said that?" Taruto turned red.

"Even if I did," he started, trying to sound like he didn't do it. A white light shined, a halo appeared above his head and white wings appeared on his back. "Would you really believe that a sweet and innocent little kid would do something so cruel to his nii-san's girlfriend?" Kisshu sweat dropped at that look.

Kisshu asked, "Can you stop with the heavenly innocence crap? It so does NOT suit you." Taruto lost his innocent look and crossed his arms.

"You can be pretty mean some times, nii-san. By the way, do you think nii-sama will get over his little girlfriend lost thing?"

"Why? So you can complain to him and get me grounded for months?"

"Good idea, but no. It's just that the house is even gloomier than before. It was bad enough that we hardly used the lights so it was always dark in there. Now it's like living in a haunted house."

Kisshu let out a sigh and told him, "A broken heart takes time to heal. Just be patient and soon he'll be the same cold, hard, scary doctor that we all know and love."

"I don't know about the love part."

"Now who's being mean here?" Kisshu asked ruffling his little brother's hair. He knows that Taruto doesn't like that. Then he remembered. "Which reminds me, where is that Pudding girl anyway?"

"Her name is 'Pudding', idiot!" Taruto insulted and Kisshu got annoyed by that but Taruto also answered, "She's doing an extra ten laps around the park."

"She actually took her seriously?"

"Once she sets her mind on it, she'll do whatever it takes to accomplish it."

'_Well, that will take a while,'_ Kisshu thought. But after he thought that, he couldn't help but notice the smile on Taruto's voice and the emotions he has on his face. Seeing his face, Kisshu couldn't help but smile himself.

"Well, see ya!" Kisshu told him. "I better get home before nii-san signs up for a cardiac surgery." But when he turned around, he felt a piercing pain in his chest. He collapsed to his knees instantly and leaned over, holding his chest.

"Nii-san? Nii-san!" Taruto called but he looked at the corner of his eyes and he could see the sun starting to set in the distance. He took out his phone and quickly dialed a number. He pressed send and waited.

_Caller: Hello?_

_Taruto: Nii-sama, nii-san is starting to transform!_

_Pai: Is he in a crowd?_

_Taruto: No. I'm the only one here with him._

_Pai: That's good for now. Keep an eye on him until the sun sets, alright?_

_Taruto: Alright._

After that, Taruto hang up the phone and watched his older brother go through the same pain he has been going through for the past couple of months now.

"Don't worry, nii-san. You only have to deal with this until we find your ring again. For now, I'm sorry."

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"One…Two…Three…GO!!" Ichigo yelled, throwing the two bags of garbage into the dumpster. She let go half way and they went flying into the can. A direct hit! She let out a sigh and breathed out, "Finally! Now I can go take a bath."

"Mind if I join you?"

Instantly, Ichigo looked around for her mysterious voice and when she looked behind, she saw Kish's face only a few inches from her. Before she could react, he gave her a quick peck on her lips.

"Good evening, koneko-chan," he greeted. Ichigo pushed him away and wiped her lips with her arm.

"You're disgusting, you know that!" she yelled.

He lifted up his arms and told her, "Hey! It's one of my many qualities that make you attracted to me." He jumped a little to lay down in the air as she flouted like he was relaxing in the sun.

Ichigo got a vein pulsing on her head as she told him, "As if! What are you here for anyway? You here to fight or are you trying to take my blood?"

"I'm here to tell you about that girl you met earlier." Ichigo got cautious and a bit scared after that.

"You didn't!"

"Did what?"

"Did you eat her?"

"No. I'm here to take to where she lives."

"Why?"

He didn't answer. He only smirked and then grabbed her hand. They were both surrounded by a black orb and then all Ichigo could see was darkness. It was cold and a lonely experience. But how Kish still had his hand on her hand, it brought some comfort and for her; that's weird. Because of how this felt for her, her hand automatically squeezed his hand. When the darkness cleared about two second later, her heart was still pounding but she looked at her new surroundings.

Since it's evening, everything was so dark except for the big Chinese style house that's right in front of her. From the small light, she could see that the walls could be blue and the ceiling is red. The windows were round and there is one right in front of her.

"Look, here," Kish told her, moving her closer. She still gripped his hand as she walked to the window. When she looked inside, she was surprised.

Inside the window, she could see both Pudding and Taruto trying to calm down about four younger children; four boys and a girl. Pudding smiled away as she played with them and they trying to drag Taruto in. He accidently fell and they all laughed at him. He sat up and could help but laugh with them.

"Okay, everyone! Time to eat, na no da!" Pudding announced.

"Hooray!!" the children cheered as they ran to the next room. Pudding giggled at them as Taruto was trying to get up.

"Kids!" he mumbled, tiredly.

"Don't be sad, Taru-Taru. You were enjoying that, na no da!"

"Only because I didn't want to make them think that I don't like them."

"So you like them, na no da."

"Pudding-san!"

Pudding giggled at Taruto's reaction for a bit until she said, "Can you tell your friend 'thank you' the next time you see him, na no da? I know it was a bit too much but if it weren't for his twenty, then we wouldn't be able to have such a big amount of food tonight, na no da." That last statement surprised Ichigo than before.

"I'll be sure to tell," Taruto answered.

Ichigo looked away from the window and leaned on the wall right next to the window. _'So that's why she was collecting money. She was saving money to pay for dinner and the reason why she was so desperate to know how to get ears was so that she could get more money. Where's her parents? Why is she collecting money for food?'_

While Ichigo was trying to figure that out, Kish on the other hand, was holding a pocket watch. When it hit the twelve for about the third time, he closed it and thought about what it for a little bit longer. He looked at Ichigo's face and he smiled.

"So now you see?" he asked her. She looked up at him and he moved his hand from hers to her wrist. He pushed her against the wall and had his free hand under her chin. "I always thought that angels are here to help the humans but instead you ignored a little girl who could barely provide food for her family. Maybe you shouldn't be an angel. Why not just walk away from your heavenly duties and come with me? I promise to take total control of this body for all eternity so that you and I can be together forever."

"Total control? What are you saying?" she asked, gaining back her courage.

He answered, "Didn't the little heaven prince tell you that agents have another way to use humans or rather attack?" He took a second for his words to sink in but he didn't let Ichigo answer. "What I'm doing now is only possessing the body. I can come out at night since that's when I'm most powerful and I sleep by day while my human is roaming around earth with no memory of what happened at night."

"Is that why I can touch you? Because you're using human skin?" she asked.

"No. Don't you remember what happened when I touched Mint? I couldn't touch her like how I can't touch Zakuro or Lettuce. Good try though."

'_How does he know about Lettuce?'_ she wondered.

"So what do you say?" he asked. "Let's be together forever, Ichigo."

She glared at him and hit his hand away as she answered, "No way!" His hand reacted quickly and went to her other wrist. He pushed that back and then kissed her. She moaned out cries but they were being muffled by Kish's lips.

When he pulled back, he looked directly at her eyes and she looked directly at his. "Can you please be quiet for about a few minutes?" After he asked that, Ichigo suddenly lost the will to fight back as well as scream out for help.

After waiting for a few minutes of total silence, Kish kissed Ichigo again and she didn't fight back or kiss him back. The kiss was small and short but when it ended, another one pressed against her lips. Then again and again and again, until his lips started to go down her throat. He stopped right in between the shoulder and her neck. She didn't moan in pleasure or pain and she didn't complain.

"Even though you say no now, I'm taking you with me. I promise you that you won't regret it," he told her, nibbling at her neck.

So badly, she wanted to say no but that one look in his eyes paralyzed her. She couldn't even say anything at all. But why not?

When he stopped playing around, he stood up straight and leaned on Ichigo's forehead. His eyes were shut as hers were only half way open. He's relaxing in her warm, her smell, and her soft touch. For some reason, Ichigo didn't mind how close he is now. She knows it's wrong but her feelings were just going haywire.

Then Kish asked, "How many times has your boyfriend kiss you?" Her eyes widen at that as he backed away with a smirk on his face. She's out of it now.

"Get the hell off me, you bastard!!" she warned.

"Such bad language from an angel. Sometimes, I even wonder if you are one."

"You're not trying that one on me again! You're lucky that I haven't brought you to your knees yet!"

"Then why not? Why am I still standing?"

"Because I was hoping that you're not some perverted, damned agent." Right after that, she lifted her leg up hard and it him right at the spot. He flinched and let her go. She got away from him as he leaned on the wall for support. That has got to hurt.

She lifted her fists up and asked, "Want more?" At first it was hard breathing but now it turned to chuckles.

He leaned on the wall still as he turned around to face her and told her, "I may get as far as kissing you but still. You're a feisty one and that only makes me want you more and more."

"I asked you if you want more pain; not me. Why did you bring me here anyway?"

"I just wanted to show you the reason why that girl was so desperate to get ears before she is no longer a part of the living." Ichigo got terrified the first second but then defensive.

"I swear if you put one finger on that girl, I will so kill you!"

"Isn't it a sin for angels to kill?"

"Shut the hell up!!"

"Oh well." He got up and ruffled his hair a bit as he said, "I guess I have to go to work now. I'll let my brother get the big entrée for the night while I get the girl. In the mean time, I need you to be distracted."

"Oh yeah? Like how?"

"How does a mile run work for you?" Before she answered, he snapped his fingers and the black orb appeared again. It swallowed Ichigo and took her by at least a mile away. He let out a sigh and mumbled, "Time for work. I wonder how Deep Blue-sama will feel once he finds out that I even brought my younger brother over to our side?"

A black orb swallowed Kish and entered the house. He looked around and he's in the kitchen with only Taruto in there doing the dishes. Kish greeted, "Hello, Tart." Taruto stopped washing and put the dishes down.

He leaned on the sink and mumbled, "Don't call me that. That's not my name."

Kish walked over to Taruto and leaned on his shoulder, saying, "That's not what you told me on our first night out."

"Our first night that we transformed, idiot. Anyway, why are you here?" Taruto asked, turning around and pushing Kish back. "If you came for a meal, I'm not letting you anywhere near this family."

"You shouldn't get so close to humans, Tart. They're here as our meals or our play things."

"Well what about you? Don't you dare think that I didn't see you with that cat girl! You were all over here and it was way to disgusting for even me to see!"

Instead of being embarrassed, Kisshu asked him, calmly, "Well next time, mind your own business. She's my precious toy and that's all she is. Nothing more and nothing less. But what is that Pudding girl to you, uh?" Taruto didn't answer and that made the smirk on Kish's face wider. He got closer to Taruto again and then asked, "How about we see how important she really is to you once you've let this off?"

Right before Taruto got what he meant, Kish took a black ring right off of Taruto's index finger. As soon as it was off, Taruto felt like he's on fire. Worst, he felt like he's been buried alive. His legs got weak and he collapsed to the floor. His chest hurt and he couldn't breathe. His lungs ached for air and his veins felt blocked. His head felt like he's been hit by a rock of some sort. From the floor, a black vine came out and grabbed a hold of him. Soon after that one came more black vines that just sprouted and grabbed out. It came to the point to that the vines were covering him like a cocoon.

Kish smirked as he watched him change before his eyes. "Now my little brother, give in to the thirst and the feeling of murder. Kill the family you've worked so hard to care for. Kill the one you care about the most."

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"There you go, na no da," Pudding carefully said, tucking her little sister into bed. She asked, "Is Heicha happy, now na no da?"

"Yes!" her little sister answered. "Heicha is happy that she has onee-chan and onii-chan here to take care of her."

"Thank goodness, na no da. Onee-chan's happy that she is making her little sister happy, na no da."

"Onee-chan?" Pudding waited for her question and she asked, "When is onee-chan and onii-chan getting married?" The last word made Pudding's head flare up and a cloud of steam came out with it.

"M-M-Married, na no da? Wh-Where did you get that idea, na no da?"

Heicha said, "Don't be embarrassed. Heicha always see onee-chan and onii-chan smiling at each other and supporting one another. Heicha can tell that onee-chan and onii-chan are deeply in love with one another."

"But…But onee-chan and onii-chan are just friends, Heicha."

"That's not what Heicha sees."

Finally Pudding lost her blush and she sweetly smiled at her little sister. "Just got to sleep, okay na no da? Tomorrows another day to look forward too na no da."

"Okay!"

Then Heicha just went straight to sleep. She closed her eyes and she had on a peaceful face. Pudding let out a sigh and walked to the door. She turned off the lights and took one last look at her little sister before she closed the door. She leaned on the door and placed her hand over her heart that was still pounding from what Heicha said before.

'_Little kids have such BIG imaginations, na no da. But,_' Pudding thought, midway. She thought about Taruto for a bit and then smiled. _'It wouldn't hurt to marry him, na no da. We've been acting like a mother and father since he helped me, na no da.'_ With that, Pudding went down the stairs and entered the kitchen.

"Taru-Taru!" she called, but no one was there. "Uh? Where did Taru-Taru go, na no da? He said that he can stay over tonight, na no da."

_Bam_

_Bam_

_Bam_

Hearing that, Pudding walked out from the kitchen to the hallway. At the end of the hallway, the front door was just banging away at the door sill. Could be the wind since it's so chilly. Pudding rubbed her arms to create heat as she walked to the front door. Being curious, she walked outside.

"Taru-Taru! Where are you, na no da? Taru-Taru?" she called, but no answer. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Where is he, na no da?"

_Bang!_

Pudding quickly turned around to see the front door in front of her closed and she heard the click noise. Which means that someone locked it. She ran to the door and tried to open it. Just like she suspected, it was locked. She started banging at it while yelling, "Let me in, na no da! Let me in!" Behind her, she heard a slight giggle that made her turn around. There, she saw Kish landing on the ground while giggling at her little moment.

"How cute," he complimented. "I love the terror on children's faces."

Angrily, Pudding asked, "Who are you, na no da?!"

Kish smirked and answer, "I hear that you wanted cat ears for your show. Well, I'm here to grant that wish. I'm an angel."

"That's a lie, na no da!" Pudding yelled. "Angels don't have a scary face, na no da!" Kish's face fell.

"How rude. To think that I came from the heavens in the sky to grant your wish. Oh, wait! Don't you call those 'fallen angels?'"

"Go away, na no da!" Pudding yelled. "I don't want to talk to you, na no da!"

"That's too bad but I have business with you," he told her. He looked directly into her eyes and she did the same but she still had her brave face on. "If you trust me, I promise that I will make your dream a reality."

Pudding didn't seem affected by his stare. She yelled, "The only one I trust is Taru-Taru! There is no one else, na no da!"

Kish let out a small chuckle and thought, _'Thought so. Her strong feelings for him can withstand my stare. But how strong will they be after tonight?'_

To make things a little interesting, he said, "Well who else will you trust after tonight? For all we know, he could be soaking in blood this very moment." Pudding's terrified expression decorated her face. But she soon turned that into courage and glared at him.

"Where is he, na no da? What did you do to him, na no da?!"

Kish answered, "Nothing much. I just helped him. I have a question for you. Would you like to join him?" Pudding took a step back but still kept her glare on him. Kish smirked and chuckled at her reaction.

"Leave her alone!!!!" Next thing Kish knew, a giant bouncing ball hit him straight in the head and he leaned over from the hit. Pudding looked to where the ball came from and she saw Mew Ichigo leaning on the wall, trying to breathe. She looked up and yelled, "I won't let you hurt this girl, Kish! If you even touch one hair on her head, I will so purify your sorry butt!"

Kish stood up and rubbed the side of his head where he got hit. "You know, I like it better when you don't act like an angel sometimes."

"Just shut up!"

"Cat ears onee-chan!" Pudding cheered, happy to see her especially in the form of an angel.

"You know, koneko-chan, you look hot and sweaty. Don't tell me that you ran all this way here just to see me again?" Kish asked. Ichigo got angry.

"I didn't run a mile away from here to see you, jerk!"

"Oh well then," Kish breathed out. "I can play with you as much as I want but for now, I want that girl's blood." Pudding had on a confused look as Ichigo summoned her Strawberry Bell.

"As I warned before, Kish! If you touch this girl, I will so purify your ass!"

"Now that's the koneko-chan I know!"

"Shut the hell up!!"

_Boom_

"Uh?" all three wondered, looking back at the house. Right after that first boom, there was a second one and this time, a giant kirema anima came through the roof. After that one, there were four more and every one entered the outside with a boom. The first kirema anima that came out is a toy horse, the second is a toy dragon, a toy falcon, a toy ox, and then a toy tiger.

Worried, Pudding yelled out, "Chincha! Hanacha! Ruucha! Honcha! Heicha!" She started running towards the house, but Kish just appeared right in front of her. She stopped running when he just suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Sorry, little one but my brother really needs to digest his food. Getting too much all at once is really difficult to swallow completely." Hearing that made Ichigo's eyes widen in both surprise and terror.

She yelled, "Kish! Your brother didn't just do what I think he did!"

He chuckled and answered, "I'm afraid so. He killed five little kids by drinking the blood from their wimpy little bodies until they were dry. Then he turned their souls into demons." Pudding thought that she just lost it when she heard that. Pudding collapsed to her knees and just stared at the dirt floor below her with her eyes wide as entrée dishes and her voice gone. Ichigo first looked at Pudding's depressed state and then from Kish to the kirema animas coming out of the house.

She growled and yelled, "Kish! I will never forgive you for this!"

"Well that's a shame and disrespectful since angels are supposed to be forgiving," he reminded. That only made Ichigo angrier and that fueled up Kish's spunk. Then a scream was heard.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Hearing that, all three looked towards the house as the sound continued. When it died, Kish growled while both Pudding and Ichigo were staring at the house surprised. With getting some life back into her, Pudding recognized that voice.

"Taru-Taru?" she breathed out. "He's still alive, na no da?"

She got up and started running back towards the house. Angry, Kish snapped his fingers and the toy kirema anime tiger stomped his paw in front of Pudding and the second paw was coming towards her.

"Pudding!!" Ichigo yelled, but a purple blur came out of the bushes and grabbed Pudding before the other paw squashed her. Kish grunted again and then teleported away. Ichigo noticed that but didn't say anything as Mint and Lettuce showed up behind her in their angel forms.

"Mint! Lettuce!"

Mint told her, "We came as quick as we heard about you transforming. What happened?" Ichigo's eyes got sad as she turned back towards in front of her. Not too far from them but far from the house, Mew Zakuro is holding a crying Pudding in her arms. Pudding leaned on Zakuro's chest and started crying her eyes out. Mint and Lettuce saw that too and their eyes widen.

Ichigo answered, "Kish's brother killed her little siblings and then turned them into those kirema animas." Mint and Lettuce looked up at the house to see the toy kirema animas on the roof in a pouncing position, waiting for the chance to rip them apart. Ichigo added, "And I think that his brother also killed Taruto."

Hearing that name, Lettuce sharply turned towards Ichigo in surprise. She thought, _'Taruto-kun? No! There's no way! He couldn't have…could he?'_

Meanwhile in the house, Kish appeared from a black orb and looked at his surroundings. It looked like a children's room but there was a difference. The walls were painted with blood splatters and the floor turned blood red too. He looked towards the bed and he saw his own kind still sucking from the body of a dead girl who's blood is already drained and long gone. Kish sighed and then walked towards him. He pulled the dead body away but the head was still in his kind's mouth.

"She's dead already! Or at least, now she is," Kish said as he dropped the dead body, soon after he examined it headless.

His friend however, didn't stop. With the head still in its mouth, he growled his bright yellow eyes at Kish and he looked angry. Kish rolled his eyes and then went to his pocket. He took out the black ring he took earlier and then quickly grabbed his friend's hand and put the ring back on the index finger. Almost like last time, his friend felt like he's buried alive. He let out a cry and dropped the girl's head from his mouth. He held his head as what now looks like black leaves swirled around his body and covered him like a black cocoon. After a few seconds, the cocoon cracked open and Taruto came out, breathless.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, brother," Kish greeted, leaning on the wall.

Taruto mumbled, "What the hell happened?" He looked up at Kish when he answered.

"Apparently, you don't remember until after you transform with the ring. But look around, little brother. It might bring back your memories of your hunger." Kish didn't have to tell Taruto that.

When he looked at his older brother, he saw the red on the wall and he fallowed them from one wall to all four. Then he looked down to see more blood and a head of Pudding's only little sister. He stood up, like he's terrified of the blood, and he shivered with horror and disbelief.

He asked, "I did….this?"

Bored, Kish answered, "Yep. It was a shame too. They were so young. Both the little girl and the little boys in the other room." His terror turned into anger as he just charged at Kish. He pushed him to the wall and he had those yellow eyes glowing at him. Kish however didn't feel threatened or anything as he watched him just glare.

"This is your fault!" Taruto accused. "It's your fault that they're dead! You made me kill them!"

Kish grabbed his little brother's hands and then pulled it off his clothes. He told him, "I didn't do anything but take the ring off your finger. I didn't kill them and I most certainly didn't make Pudding cry." Taruto lost his anger and his glowing yellow eyes after Kish said that.

"What?" he asked, confused.

Kish pointed to the window and said, "Look for yourself!" Taruto went to the window and looked outside.

In the yard, Ichigo, Mint, and Zakuro were fighting with five kirema animas as Lettuce trying to comfort and protect a crying Pudding. She was clinging to Lettuce as her tears were falling down her face like a waterfall. Her tears were what stabbed Taruto's heart. He still looked out but he didn't say a thing. His face was enough to tell Kish that he's already feeling the wave of guilt rush in.

Kish walked towards Taruto and looked out the window too. "Since that Zakuro angel is fighting, that means that she passed the crying human to Sardon's girl." As surprised as he could've been, Taruto didn't pay any mind to Kish's words. Kish placed his hand on his little brother's shoulder and told him, "Look how sad she is. One way or the other, she will find out that it was you who killed her siblings that she worked so hard to support. She will hate you and once she does, the monster inside your soul will take full control and you will go on a killing spree for the rest of you living nights. Sardon decided to join our little group and will meet us at the park when the clock strikes twelve. It's eleven thirty now and the park is about a fifteen minute walk from here. Think carefully, Tart. We'll be waiting." Then Kish disappeared in his usual black orb. Taruto didn't acknowledge his disappearance. He just heard and felt his words.

He continued to stare at the crying girl outside and then traced his fingers on the window. He bit his lip and then looked like his eyes were ready to leak.

"I'm sorry, Pudding-san…"

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Outside, Ichigo, Mint, and Zakuro were still fighting the kirema animas. They could easily purify them but they didn't want to do it in front of Pudding, thinking that it will only upset her more. Lettuce still held the crying child in her arms as Pudding was still sobbing sorrowful tears for her recently departed siblings. Lettuce rubbed her back and made hushing sounds like a mother but it still didn't soother her.

"Please don't cry, Pudding-san," Lettuce pleaded. Her eyes were starting to water up as she assured her, "Everything will be fine. You'll see. Everything will be fine." For some reason, to her, watching Pudding cry made Lettuce want to cry the missing tears that she held back since Pai hasn't shown himself in days.

Pudding looked up for a bit to get some fresh air instead of the muffled crowded one that she's been breathing for a while. But when she looked up, she saw someone come out of her house though the side door. From the light outside, she saw his face.

She pushed away from Lettuce and cried out, "Taru-Taru!!" Everyone looked up to see him, except for the kirema animas. He looked like he didn't acknowledge them as he closed the door and just ran. He jumped over the fence and entered the neighbor's yard, but trespassing didn't matter to Pudding. She got up and started running towards him.

"Wait!" Lettuce yelled.

Pudding is fast. She passed Ichigo, Zakuro, and Mint and she was at least a few feet away from them by the time they noticed her. By the time Ichigo, the first, had the time to yell out her name, Pudding was already in front of the kirema animas.

"Pudding!!"

The ox kirema anima was the right in front of her and he aimed his horns right at her. He charged them up and they were blowing blue along with the ball of blue blast that started to form and grow in front of them. When it was big enough that it would crush Pudding, he fired it. Pudding stopped running when she noticed it.

"No!!" Ichigo screamed. Pudding raises up her arms to protect herself and thought of only one thing.

'_I want to see Taruto, na no da.'_

Then a bright yellow light just shined out from her body and a giant rock just appeared in front of her like a barrier as it stopped the blast before it could hit her. The other mews just watch in surprise as the light lightly faded to show Pudding, still with her human clothes but she has monkey ears and a monkey tail.

Her eyes were still shut as she asked, "Am I dead, na no da?"

Her hands first clasped together and then it went to the side of her face to feel the ears on her. The others were still staring in shock.

"She's one of us?" Mint asked.

Finally, Pudding turned around towards them and cheered happily, "I have cat ears too, na no da!! That's so cool, na no da!!"

Ichigo told her, "I think their monkey ears, Pudding." Pudding's face showed confusion. Then Zakuro noticed the horse kirema anima getting ready to charge.

"Get out of there!" she yelled.

Pudding looked behind her, just in time to see the horse coming straight for her. She put on a confident smile and took out…a gong? She quickly bang it and it unleashed a huge sound wave that just shook the earth; even the angels felt it. While the others were only trying to keep their balance, the kirema animas were crying and moaning as they went to their knees. Once that was accomplished, she dropped the gong and just ran after Taruto.

"Pudding!!" they called, but she didn't responded. She still only had one thought on her mind.

'_Taru-Taru!'_

She jumped over the fence and the kirema animas stood up and started chasing her. Then the Mew Mews started fallowing them by flying so that they could get to Pudding faster. She was just running and running towards the direction she saw Taruto ran. He was all on her mind. She just lost her little siblings and there is no way in hell that she's going to lose Taruto, too. She just hoped that she's not too late to save him. The kirema animas were chasing her, crashing into fences, trees, and anything in their paths as the mews were flying over the damage that the demons left behind and the higher trees that they missed.

When Pudding finally stopped, she was in the middle of the forest. There was nothing but trees like she's trapped inside a sea of trees. But there are at least three ways that he could have gone from what she could see. She tried to breathe as she looked all around her to find any trace of her friend's whereabouts. Sweat poured down her face and her chest rapidly rose up and collapsed down.

"Where…is…he, na…no…da?" she asked, between breathes. Then she felt rumble coming from behind her. She looked behind and the five kirema animas were charging straight for her.

"Pudding!"

She looked up and right on time, Ichigo caught her and picked her up before the kirema animas ran her over.

Ichigo asked her, "Are you okay?"

Pudding answered, "I knew it, na no da! Onee-chan is amazing, na no da!"

Ichigo didn't waste any time. "Listen to me, Pudding! You are one of my kind and you can transform. I know it sounds crazy but you can save your siblings if you can transform!" Just hearing the word 'siblings' struck a nerve inside her.

"I can, na no da?" she asked.

Ichigo nodded and the flower kirema anima had enough. It used a vine to charge at Ichigo and it grabbed her foot. It pulled her down and that caused her to drop Pudding. The vines wrapped around her as Pudding was falling to the floor. Pudding rolled up into a ball and did a few rollovers before she gracefully landed on the ground. She looked up and she could see the plant starting to tighten its hold on her.

"Ichigo!!" Mint yelled, catching up with Lettuce and Zakuro fallowing right behind her.

But the tiger kirema anima jumped and caught her in between its two paws. It pulled her down and he started crushing her. The horse kirema anima used its hair from the main and it grabbed Lettuce. He pulled her down and wacked her to the ground. Then it raised its hoof up above her to crush her. The falcon caught Zakuro with its claws and then landed on the ground with its beak open and it was aiming straight for her head. The last kirema anima is the dragon and Pudding had to turn around to see the giant thing getting the fire in its mouth ready to burn her. The plant continued to squeeze the life out of Ichigo, the tiger was crushing Mint more and more in the ground, the horse charged its hoof at Lettuce, and the flacon charged at Zakuro with its beak wide open. Then Pudding had enough.

She closed her eyes and yelled, "No!! Stop it!!" The dragon fired at her as a yellow glow started up again.

Right before the blast was going to hit her, the bright yellow light purified the fire and then made the other kirema animas stop their attacks too. Since they're not feeling any more pain, all four girls stared at big yellow light in surprise as Pudding was changing in the light right before their eyes.

"Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!!"

Just like all of them, she heard a faint sound of music as she could feel the warmth change her body. The music sounded like gongs and drums. When the light died down as well as the music and it was only her, she actually looked…beautiful. There was still a yellow glow around her body but that's natural for these angels. Her hair is still the same; both style and hair color but it looked more radiant than before. Her top is what looks like a yellow turtle neck shirt with no sleeves and it's connected to the yellow color with dark orange trimmings and a golden blotch. Her open skirt is seven inches above the ground and it's a bright yellow with an orange ribbon tied around as the extras were touching the ends of the skirt. She has yellow arm bracelets on both arms and she's wearing dark orange fingerless gloves. On her feet is what looks like Chinese white socks and Chinese black shoes. What make her unusual are the monkey ears and tails she has along with pure white shoulder length angel wings on her back with a halo hovering above her head.

Happily, Ichigo thought, _'I knew it!'_

Pudding looked up at the kirema anima before her and she had on a brave face. "Bad children need to be punished, na no da! And Mew Pudding is just the nig sister to do that, na no da!!" Then almost like it was natural, she felt these lyrics coming from her heart and out through her mouth as music traveled in the air, affecting the kirema animas and whoever might be near by.

_Butterfly from Dance Dance Revolution_

_Ay, iyaiyai,_

_Ay, iyaiyai_

_A-a-a iyaiyai, _

_Where's my samurai_

There was a short introduction so she started dancing with her hips moving from left to right as the kirema animas cried out in pain and released the angels. They few away to stay out of harms way while Pudding continued.

_I've been searching for a man_

_All across Japan_

_Just to find, to find my samurai_

_Someone who is strong_

_But still a little shy_

_Yes I need, I need my samurai_

_Ay, ay, ay,_

_I'm your little butterfly_

_Green, black and blue,_

_Make the colours in the sky_

_Ay, ay, ay, I'm your little butterfly_

_Green, black and blue,_

_Make the colours in the sky_

_I've been searching in the woods_

_And high upon the hills_

_Just to find, to find my samurai_

_Someone who won't regret_

_To keep me in his net_

_Yes I need, I need my samurai_

_Ay, ay, ay,_

_I'm your little butterfly_

_Green, black and blue,_

_Make the colours in the sky_

_Ay, ay, ay, I'm your little butterfly_

_Green, black and blue,_

_Make the colours in the sky_

_Ay, iyaiyai,_

_Ay, iyaiyai_

_A-a-a iyaiyai, _

_Where's my samurai_

During this intro, she placed her hands together and separated them to reveal two rings. Each one of her hands grabbed one and she continued dancing, moving the rings with her to create the jingling sound with it.

_Ay, iyaiyai,_

_Ay, iyaiyai_

_A-a-a iyaiyai, _

_Where's my samurai_

She bang her rings together and then yelled out, "Ribbon Puddingring Inferno!!" Both of the rings glowed yellow and she aimed it straight at the five kirema animas. When she fired, an orange jelly captured all of them and they couldn't move.

Getting the idea, Zakuro, Mint, Lettuce, and Ichigo summoned their weapons and got charged up to attack.

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!!"

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!!"

"Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!!"

All four attacked hit the trapped kirema animas and they were all surrounded by a bright white light. The other four landed on the ground next to Pudding and she stared at the scene before her. Because the others didn't really pay attention, they didn't see what was happening inside the white light. The five shadows inside let out a cry while they were being purified and then after the cry came the joyful laughing of five little children that Pudding knew so well and will never hear again. When the white light vanished, there were five white balls in the air and they rise up the skies. Pudding watched them go with tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Good-bye Chincha," she first mumbled. "Goodbye, Hanacha. Goodbye, Ruucha. Goodbye, Honcha. Goodbye, Heicha. Say hi to mom and dad for me, na no da." Then she collapsed to her knees, sobbing in her hands. Ichigo kneeled down to her and pulled her into a soft, comforting hug.

Everyone was staring at them and they couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She just the most important thing to her and now that it's gone, it's no real surprise that she will cry her heart out about it. Ichigo lost something like that and Mint was close to losing that. Lettuce seemed to not have lost something as important as a family member but she might and no one knows Zakuro's story.

Lettuce was the first to look up and she saw someone walking but he was leaning on the trees for support. He has one hand on the trees and the other on his aching head.

"Everyone!" she called, softly. "Look!" They did and they all saw Taruto leaning on the trees to stand up. Then like the world was happy again, Pudding smiled at him and her eyes beamed with joy.

"Taru-Taru!" Pudding happily cheered, seeing her friend is alright.

He heard her and looked to his side to see them. He was at first surprised to see them but he felt horrified when he saw Pudding's tears that were dripping down her face. He leaned his back to the tree with a terrified look. The other mews saw that but Pudding didn't really care. Ike she was going to start crawling before she ran, she placed on hand in front and then took a few inches forward. But that scared Taruto even more.

"Don't come here!" he yelled. She stopped and stared at Taruto in confusion. He yelled, "You…You shouldn't come near the person who killed your siblings!"

"What, na no da?" she asked him, extremely surprised by what he just said. She lost her smile in the process of her shock after he said that. After she spoke, a black orbed appeared and Kish appeared from it; still with a smirk on his face.

"Why are you being so nice? Just hurt her. It makes it so much easier," he told him. Taruto didn't look up at him. He was too busy staring at the ground with guilt filled eyes.

Ichigo got mad as she got up and yelled, "Kish, get away from him!!"

He raised a brow and asked, "And why would I do that?" He put his arms around Taruto's neck from behind and rested his head on the side of Taruto's head as he said, "After all, he is our brother."

Lettuce's eyes widen in shock and her heart started to race. Some small hope inside her was growing as she asked, "Our?"

"Our!"

They looked a few feet away from Kish and Taruto and they saw Pai walked out of the sea of trees and closer to them. Lettuce perked up a bit.

"Pai-san! You're alright!"

Zakuro looked at Lettuce, surprised and asked, "You know him?"

Lettuce answered, her eyes still on Pai, "Pai-san and I are friends! He's the only one who understands me and he can transform too!"

"But if he can transform then he's…" Mint started.

Lettuce nodded and looked at them as she explained, "He's an agent but he's a good agent." She turned back to Pai and smiled at him. "I'm so glad you're alright, Pai-san. Where were you? You scared me!"

He stared coldly at her and asked, "Oh now you care?" She lost her smile after that.

Ichigo mumbled, "But if Pai and Taruto are Kish's brothers then that means…they're-" She didn't dare finish it. She gasped right after realizing it and she didn't dare say a word. For both Lettuce's and Pudding's sake, it was a good thing she didn't.

Kish smirked and backed away from Taruto. "Brothers, how about we show them what you really are?" Taruto and Pai didn't say anything. They lifted up their left hand and they revealed a black satin ring on their fingers. There was only a small difference. Taruto's jewel is orange and on his index finger as Pai's is purple and on his middle finger. Remembering the ring from before, Ichigo flinched in surprise of seeing it.

Taruto moved his index finger to touch the top of his right hand and Pai moved his middle finger to the top of his right arm. When the ring touched the skin of the area they meant the ring to touch, black lights shined from those areas and then created more black light that wrapped around them like a cocoon. The black light that wrapped around Taruto looked like leaves as the black light that wrapped around Pai looked like water currents. Kish smirked in satisfaction as the angels only watched; paralyzed to the ground they stood on.

Kish announced, "Ladies, I give you my brothers." Right after he said that, the black cocoons broke and revealed the two agents.

Where Taruto stood was replaced with a different person. His hair is still orange but it was up in two top pony tails on each side of his head. His dark golden eyes looked cat like and his skin looked as pale as bone with big long elf like ears. He has long, sharp claws and longer, sharper canines too. His top is a dull red shirt that looked like it was tied only on the top of it but not the bottom and it bared his midriff. His bottoms are dark brown short pants with two black ribbons hanging behind his pants. His arms and his shins, like Kish, are wrapped around with a white bandage. The common thing he has is the black bat wings on his back.

"My youngest brother, Tart," Kish introduced.

Where Pai once stood is also another person, to Lettuce's eyes. His hair is still dark purple and that one area that looked longer is now tied with a dark green bandage. He has dark purple cat like eyes and his skin looked pale as bone too. The interesting things about him are that he has big elf like ears, sharp claws, and longer canines as fangs. His outfit is a purple sleeveless shirt that was tight on his chest so that it wasn't loose like his brothers. It still showed his midriff but there was a black see through material that didn't completely bare it but you could still see it. He has purple long pants, dark green shoes that looked like clothes that were tied onto his ankles by a very thin string. On his arms, instead of a bandage, are black arm warmers. Like his brothers, he has black bat wings on his back that are shoulder length,

Kish introduced, "And my older brother, Sardon!"

Sardon glared at Kish and asked, "Why must you do that?"

Kish only put his hands behind his head and answered, "You want me to make a good impression on them right?" Sardon still didn't relax. In fact, he summoned a dark purple bass guitar.

"This is making a good impression." He started playing and the sound waves made the angels collapse to their knees, all except Ichigo. To the ones who are affected, they gripped their heads in pain and let out a painful cry. The sound sounded like it was going to tear their skull in two and it was causing every nerve in their bodies to explode.

"Everyone! What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, worried.

Zakuro looked up and asked, "Doesn't this…affect you?" Ichigo looked confused but shook his head.

"See how great she is?" Before Ichigo could react fast enough, she felt a cold hand on her shoulder and then a kiss on her cheek from the opposite side.

She pushed him back and tried to kick him. "Get off me!" He disappeared back to his brothers before he got hit.

"Feisty as usual! That's my koneko-chan for you."

"I am not your 'koneko-chan'!!" she yelled, angrily at him. "Now stop this music or I'll go over there and kick your sorry ass!" All of the other angels were surprised to hear that.

Sardon stopped playing and asked Kish, "Are you sure she's an angel? Angels don't swear and they're not immune to our music."

Kish only answered, "Which is why she's so brilliant!" He looked up at the sky and he could see the moon starting to hid away, meaning that morning will come soon in a few hours. "Well, we love to stay and play but we have to find dinner and then go to bed. One of us still can't go around in the day time." Sardon made his bass guitar disappear and then the wind looked like it's starting to pick up around them. Around them, a black mist started to form.

Forgetting about their still throbbing heads, both Lettuce and Pudding looked up and started reaching out towards the agents before they could disappear.

"Don't go, Pai-san!" Lettuce cried.

Pudding yelled, "Taru-Taru!"

Sardon looked up at Lettuce and mumbled, "Pathetic." Lettuce dropped her hand at the sound of that one word and tears were starting to leak out from the corner of her eyes..

Taruto looked up at Pudding and saw her crying face. He bit his lips and then told her, "Good bye, Pudding. The next time we meet, I will kill you." After he said that, Pudding could hear the sound of her own heart breaking.

The black mist covered them all completely and when it disappeared, so did they.

"Pai-san!!"

"Taru-Taru!!"


	10. The Date

**A/N: Hello everyone!! Thank you all for the reviews of this story and for the first chapter of my sequel! I felt really encouraged to be able to write more! Also, from now on, I'll try to lessen the amount of pages in the chapters for this story. Hope fully it will work but I must warn you, that there maybe some chapters that will be long. I'm sorry that the other one was really, really long. That thing was worth 36 pages.**

**Kuro: I'm surprised that so many people are still willing to read your chapters even though they took forever.**

**Tsukiko: And I'm surprised that you're still here…**

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the reviews and please continue. She loves them.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When you set up a date, do you go through with it or does something always stop you?_

Ch. 10: The Date

"Keiichiro! Is R2000 fixed yet?" Ryou asked, entering the basement. He saw Keiichiro still on the computer and after he called for him, he stopped and turned around to face him.

"Not yet," he answered. "There are still some parts of him that take a longer time to repair. I only hope that he remembers what happened to him."

"Okay, then," Ryou said. He turned around to leave until Keiichiro stopped him.

"Ryou!" He looked over his shoulder and Keiichiro asked, "Do you really believe that Kisshu-san could be an agent."

"It's just a hunch but you can already tell that it could be a possibility. He says that his older brother told him that he has to be home before sunset."

"Maybe he has an older protective brother who is just worried that his younger brother could be the next victim of the agents."

"We never see him at night and he doesn't call Ichigo at night either. They're only together during the day."

"You have a point but it's still a long shot."

"Right. I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Don't you notice that it's awfully silent today?"

"Yes I have and I think I know why."

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"Here's your order," Lettuce happily/sadly told the customers.

The customer answered, "Thank you." Then she started eating her fruit tart. Seeing that there is no more reason to stay there, Lettuce left and her smile disappeared from her face as if it was never there.

Pudding, in the same waitress outfit like everyone else but with an orange outfit and yellow ribbon, delivered two plates of sliced cherry pie while riding her big ball. "Here you go, na no da!" she cheerfully, tried to say. The girls below her clapped with delight.

One went to her purse and took out a few dollars as she said, "Here! This is for the wonderful performance." Pudding bent down and took the dollars.

"Thank you, na no da! Come again, na no da!"

"She's so cute!"

Pudding smiled at them and then left the table. She put the money in her pocket and then lost her smile. Instead she gained back her said eyes and her tears that threatened to leave her face. Both Mint and Zakuro noticed their attitudes.

Mint stood up from her table and abandoned her tea. Zakuro walked up to Lettuce and Pudding with Mint fallowing. Mint suggested, "How about you two take a break? A long break? You've both have been working too hard."

Lettuce went to her pocket and took out her recording tablet as she mumbled, "B-B-But I-I-I have to serve table seven, five, and table number three."

She started flipping through pages while Pudding said, "And I have to do a performance, na no da!"

Mint told them, "I haven't served a table all day and who said that you _had_ to do a performance? How about you both take at least an hour break? Onee-sama and I can handle things here until Ichigo comes back."

"But-"

"Lettuce?" Mint asked in a scolding voice.

Both Pudding and Lettuce looked at each other and then gave in. They both sadly nodded and Mint let out a breather. Both Mint and Zakuro moved out of the way as both Lettuce and Pudding passed them to the dressing room or the restroom. When they were out of hearing and sight, Mint walked up to Zakuro.

"Onee-sama, they seem to be handling this harder than I thought," she told her.

Zakuro answered, "Who could blame them? They both just lost a close friend who was by their sides until last night. Hopefully, time will heal their hearts."

Mint asked, "Did you ever lost someone before, onee-sama?" She didn't answer back to that question. She actually didn't speak right away. She took a moment of two before she said anything.

"When is Ichigo's class over?"

Mint looked up at the clock and she could see that it's about 3:25. She answered, "In about five minutes but she won't be back until twenty after four."

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"One…Two…Three… And hit!"

Ichigo sharply turned around and Kisshu caught her wrist before she slapped him with the back of her hand. When the teacher counted again, Ichigo took steps backwards as Kisshu took steps forward.

"One…Two…Three…Spin!"

Kisshu made Ichigo spin and she fell to his chest. Then he held her tightly in his grasp and made it look like he just slit her throat. Her body shook and then collapsed to the floor, looking dead. Kisshu took heavy breathes as he just looked at her body. She tried to breathe too as the teacher was clapping.

"Brava! Brava! It's just a little rusty but with the progress you both are going at, the dance will be perfect. Your session is done now," she told them.

Ichigo sat up and said, "Thanks." Then the dance teacher left to go greet her next students. Right when Ichigo was going to get up herself, Kisshu offered his hand to her. When she noticed it, she took it and he helped her up. "And thank you."

"No problem," he told her.

They went to get their bags, picked them up, left the building, and went straight for the park; like always. As soon as Ichigo saw a bench, she was the first to run up to it and then collapsed in exhaustion.

"I swear! She's going to kill me with her dance and her exercises," she whined. Kisshu dropped his bag at the leg of the bench and sat on it.

He told her, "This is what we get for coming to school late on the first day of school. Also, the dance doesn't bother me that much anymore."

Ichigo sat up and asked, "Is the gangster Kisshu starting to like dancing? I thought you said you don't dance."

"For the last time, I'm not a gangster. Second of all, I don't dance but since it's with you, I don't mind at all." Ichigo got red but she playfully pushed him.

"Don't do that!" Kisshu started laughing and soon Ichigo joined in. But after a few minutes, Ichigo asked, "Why are you so mean?"

"Sorry, honey," he told her. "But think of it this way! It's one of my many qualities that make you attracted to me." He continued laughing but Ichigo didn't join in. Those were close to the words that Kish told her yesterday.

"Kisshu?"

"Uh?"

When Kisshu saw Ichigo looking a bit down and she was clenching her skirt, his sense of humor just dissolved. She bit her lip but asked, "You know I trust you, right?" Kisshu was a bit confused but nodded his head slowly. "I trust you with my Mew Mew secret and I trust you with my childhood secret. So now, there is something I want to ask you. If there was a secret that was even close to something as those two, would you tell me?" She looked up him with pleading, sad eyes and that only created more confusion for Kisshu.

"Of course I will. There is nothing that I would hide from you," he told her. That answer made her a bit happy but she wasn't satisfied yet.

"Would you leave me?"

"Of course not."

"Would you ever hurt me?"

"No, Ichigo." He grabbed her hand and told her, "You're the most important person to me and I promise that I will do anything for you. You have no idea how much I care for you." That alone was enough to satisfy her.

She smiled and nodded. "Okay."

He out a small chuckle and said, "I swear, I wonder where you get these strange questions."

'_I only get them when I'm scared.'_ "Sometimes, I wonder too," she told him. They both giggled with that.

Then Kisshu got an idea. "Hey, honey, you know it's the night of the full moon tonight. It's the perfect scenery for a romantic night out." The word 'romantic' caused Ichigo's heart to pound faster as he continued. "So would you like to have some dinner with me tonight?" That did it. Her ears and her tail just popped out. "Oops!" he let out when he let go of her hand and tried to cover her ears. She got a bit excited and hid her tail as best as she could from other human's eyes.

Then she used her tail to hide under her skirt and she placed both of her hands on top of Kisshu's. That got his attention so he looked at her and she told him, "I love too."

He smiled and said, "Good. Shall we meet here at seven and have a small little picnic in the moonlight. If any hobos come over, I'll kick their ass, okay?"

"And if any demons or agents show up, I'll kick their ass." They both laughed at that.

"Seven?"

"Seven!"

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"Absolutely not!"

Ichigo stared at Ryou in disbelief. She asked, "Why not?"

He answered, "Because what if an agent attacks you while you're on your little date? You will be both defenseless and they have the advantage because he's there!" Ichigo was not happy about the last part. Keiichiro was there watching and so was Mint and Zakuro.

"Excuse me? But if I remember correctly, he was the one that saved us when Zakuro tried to kill us all and if it weren't for him when we found Mint, she wouldn't be a Mew Mew now and I would be dead! What have you've done?!"

"I helped you save your little boyfriend when he was about to become kirema anima chow when we first met!"

"One thing, Ryou! One thing! You only did one thing that was helpful! He's done so much more in helping us than you ever did!"

"You're still not going because they said the weather is going to be cloudy and when it's dark, the agents will be at their strongest! Tonight might as well be the night of the new moon because the moon will be hidden!"

"Oh yeah? Who said?! I thought you don't watch human news to know what the stupid weather is going to be!"

Keiichiro said, "He doesn't. He only listens to news sent to us from heaven." Ichigo was just fuming.

She walked up to Ryou and went really close to his face. She yelled, "You know what?! I HATE YOU!!!" Then she barged out of there and Mint and Zakuro got out of the way so that they wouldn't get hurt. She's upset now. But while Mint was watching Ichigo go, Zakuro heard something very interesting.

"Ryou, that was too cruel."

"What else could I say? Since the weather is going to be bad, she'll end up meeting someone she doesn't want to meet."

They stopped talking about the subject but what they said made Zakuro a bit suspicious about what they could be hiding. Meanwhile, Ichigo marched straight up to her room. She slammed the door and then grabbed her pillow. She muffled her face with it and then screamed. Thanks to the pillow, no one was going to hear her screamed. After a few seconds, she collapsed on her bed.

"I swear, I feel like I'm trapped in here!" she whined.

She looked up at her clock and it's about 5:30. She came and worked and when she was asked if she could go out, both her and Ryou got into a fight. She sat up and thought for a bit.

'_If I get ready and leave through the window then I could still make it. Besides, I can take care of myself. I already defeated the agents and their little games. Alright then! Time to get ready!'_

Trying to make it look like she's still fuming, she stomped her way to the showers and then took a nice hot bath. When she was done, she still stomped her way to her room. She decided to wear a nice black puffy skirt with red trimmings, a light pink shirt, a jean jacket, long black socks that reached her thighs, and tennis shoes. She put her hair up in the nicest set of pig tails with her regular red ribbons and then put on a little lip gloss and some perfume. This is actually her first dinner date with Kisshu. All the others were breaks in the park but just being with him made her happy.

When she was done, she went to the window and opened it. She looked left, right, and behind: no one was there. That was good. She jumped out and started running.

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"Stupid ass brothers!!"

Apparently, Ichigo wasn't the only one who was told that he couldn't go. Both Kisshu and Pai were having their little argument about not being able to go out because it was going to be cloudy and he didn't want his little brother to get wet. Kisshu thought that was a stupid but his brother still said no. So did exactly what Ichigo did. Got ready and then escaped through the window.

Right about now, he's running towards the park and just like Ryou said; it's cloudy. So cloudy that no one could even see the sun setting. When the sun started to set behind the mountains that was when Kisshu felt the piercing hot pain in his chest. The pain caused him to trip and he didn't even bother getting up. He felt too much pain. Because of that pain, he didn't notice two shadows hovering over him.

"I told him not to go."

"Too late now. We might as well feed him and I think angel's blood is just the thing."


	11. The Pain and the Kiss

**A/N: Hi everyone!! I got most of my homework done so I was able to make this chapter pretty fast for your pleasure! I hope you enjoy it! In this chapter is the moment you all have been waiting for!**

**Kuro: What if that feeling died off a long time ago?**

**Tsukiko: How about I throw you off a cliff?**

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming!**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and enjoy!!**

_If someone you care about isn't there when he said he would, would you be so sad that you curse at the moon and stars?_

Ch. 11: The Pain and the Kiss

'_I hope I make it in time!'_ Ichigo thought as she continued running. _'Oh why, oh why did I take so long on my hair?'_

"Hi, koneko-chan!"

Hearing his voice made Ichigo stop running and look around. Just above her, Kish was flouting in the air with a smirk.

"Kish? What are you doing here?" she asked.

He flouted down towards her a bit too fast and answered right in her face, "I came to see my kitten and she looks really pretty tonight. If you have a date, how about you ditch that loser and go on a date with me?" She got angry real fast.

"Not on your life, jerk!" she yelled, trying to kick him. He got away just in time and he flouted in the air a few feet from her.

"Heh, feisty as usual but I like it better when you swear."

"Well who said I do things to pleasure you?!"

Kish changed back to the subject and said, "You might as well not go since he's not going to be there."

Ichigo's guard went down and she stared at him with a questionable glance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that if I let you go to see him, he won't be there. Then you would be heartbroken and probably start crying. Maybe I will let you go so that I can see that pitiful sorrowful look, but no. Because you're mine and no one else can have you." Okay…now she's pissed off.

"Kish, come down here," she asked

He started to get excited and he flouted down but by the time he was in close range, she started to punch. He however, dodged every single one of them. She tried kicking him but he dodge them too and that did not please her.

"Would you hold still, I'm trying to hit you, you son of a bitch!!" she screamed. That put a smile on his face.

"Now that's more like it!"

"Shut the hell up!"

She did a back flip and her foot hit his chin when she went up. Didn't expect to see that coming. He took a few steps back and he wiped his chin with the black of his hand. That has got to hurt. She landed on her feet but her position looked like a cat ready to pounce on her prey. She was prepared and Kish was debating.

"So you want to fight?" he asked. She growled and that was the only answer he was going to get from her. She smirked and said, "Okay then, lets fight but I'll give you only thirty seconds to transform. Even if you are still in the middle of it, I will attack and I will not hold back."

She went to her pocket and took out her golden blotch. She yelled, "Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!!" She was covered in a pink light and in only twenty seconds, she full transformed. "Strawberry Bell!" she summoned.

"Dragon Swords!" he summoned.

Mew Ichigo's Strawberry Bell appeared in front of her and a pair of Sais appeared in front of Kish. They both took their weapons and then charged at each other. Kish was the first to strike but Ichigo blocked it with her Strawberry Bell. She tried to hit him but he blocked it with his Sais. That was how the battle went so far. She tried to strike him, he dodge or blocked it. He tried to strike her, she blocked it or dodged it. Then they got to the point when they were pushing against one another.

While that was happening, Kish told Ichigo, "You know what makes an agent stronger? Anger, hatred, sadness, and ever negative feeling you can think of you. Those feelings are what makes us stronger and humans feel them every day! Even angels and right now, Ichigo. You're full of it!"

She had enough as she used as much of her strength as she could to push him back. She readied her Strawberry Bell at him and yelled, "Ribbon Strawberry Check!" He smirked and crossed his sais.

"Dragon Blast!"

He pointed his attack towards Ichigo and fired. Her attacked hit his attack but his attack went right through hers. She gasped when it was coming straight for her. When it hit her, it felt like fire as she was pushed away from the blasted and landed on the hard cement, scraping her skin in the process. The smell of her blood filled the air and it caused Kish great joy.

"The smell of an angel's blood is supposed to be better than a century old wine. The rumor is true," he told her. She tried to stand up as he added, "The smell of your blood is beyond delightful. It just makes me want to take a bite of the forbidden fruit." He walked closer to her while she tied to get away. But she was only crawling away as he was walking towards her. Then he was right in front of her and he grabbed her face.

"The smell of your blood is tempting, Ichigo. Maybe I will give into the yearning and suck the blood from your body. But if you come with me, I can save you and we can watch the world rot together."

Immediately, Ichigo answered, "Never!"

"Then…" He let go of her face and then grabbed her throat. She gasped for air while he lifted her up. She was held in the air by his grip on her neck and she was gasping for air. "I guess, I'll just kill you then." Kish licked his lips and bared his long canines. He brought her closer until Ichigo could feel his cold breath breathing on her neck.

"Kish…you…"

Even though she was going to say something else, she couldn't because of loss of air. All she had to do was say those two words and Kish stopped dead in his tracks. He retracted his claws and gritted his teeth in pain. Something was throbbing? His head? His chest? No, his heart.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

That yell brought Kish back to reality and he saw the purifying arrow coming straight for him. He dropped Ichigo and got out of the way before it hit him. When he stepped back, he looked up at the sky and he figured out why he reacted the way he did. The sky was starting to clear up and the only thing that hid the full moon's rays is the thin clouds in the sky.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"Ichigo! Are you okay?"

Mint's voice made him look back at all four Mew Mews as they checked on their leader. Ichigo coughed before she answered.

"I'm alright."

Then two black lights appeared on both sides of Kish; one looked like leaves and the other looked like air currents. The sound of their arrival made all of the mew mews look up to see both Sardon and Tart arrive.

Tart said, "You didn't kill her when you got the chance."

"You're not going soft on us, are you Kish?" Sardon asked.

Just seeing them, even if they look like that, brought some life to Lettuce's and Pudding's face. So badly, they wanted to call out to them but Kish took over with the talking.

"What the hell do you think?" he asked. He looked up and both Sardon and Tart fallowed his gaze to see the moon, ready to reveal itself.

"Crap!" Tart breathed out, glaring at the ground.

"Taru-Taru?" Pudding softly called, unable to hold it back any longer. Tart looked up and he saw Pudding staring at him with pleading eyes. Her eyes looked like they were saying to him, 'Please tell me that everything you did and everything you said wasn't the truth?'

Tart glared at her and asked, "What the hell do you want, angel?" Pudding took a step back as a sign that what he just said to her hurts more than any knife. Tart didn't looked upset about her taking a step back.

Sardon clapped his hands together and when he separated them, a black ball was forming. When it was the right size, he yelled out, "Tempest Strike!" He aimed it at the angels and fired. Mint and Zakuro grabbed Ichigo and all five mews got away just in time. Lettuce was the only one hurt the most by Sardon's attack.

She took a step forward and breathed out, "Pai-senpai?" She even reached for him but Sardon only stared at her.

He cursed, "Damn it, I missed." Lettuce pulled her hand back and Sardon added, "If you keep acting like this, then what is the point of fighting you? You're not even worth it, your useless human." Those words were small and less affective to others but to Lettuce, they were poisonous sword piercing her heart and letting out a huge amount of pain throughout her body. She didn't have the strength to stand. She collapsed to her knees and her eyes started to leek. Small multiple tears trailed down her face and landed on the ground.

"You angel need to toughen up! How can one so weak save an entire planet of humans when she couldn't even save her own family from being killed?!" Tart asked Pudding. His words were sharp and like poison like how Sardon's words were for Lettuce. She didn't collapse. The only thing that did was her heart as tears rolled down her face like beads.

"Both of you, shut up!" Zakuro yelled. Everyone was surprised to hear that coming from her but Mint joined in to back her up.

"Don't you two see how much pain they're in?" Mint asked. "Since last night, they've been nothing but depressed. Even when they thought no one was looking, they were crying because of you!"

"Does it look like they care, birdie?" Kish asked. Mint stared at him as he explained, "Sardon saw you take fish girl away from him and Tart saw the mess he created that caused monkey girl so much pain. Last night was probably the last sign of caring they have for them. Now, they are all here with the desire to kill but I believe that it's time for dinner. We'll see you later."

Then all three of them were covered by their own forms of black light and then disappeared. With them gone, it was easier to unleash their tears. Both Lettuce and Pudding broke down crying.

_Sob_

_Sob_

_Sob_

_Whine_

_Whine_

_Whine_

Mint, Zakuro, and Ichigo could only watch as their friends sat their crying for the people they cared about. Pai was really important to Lettuce and Taruto was good friends with Pudding. With losing both of them, it's a no fact that they both will feel the pain of loneliness and sadness.

"Lettuce…Pudding…" Ichigo mumbled. She crawled towards them a hugged them as she said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She shouldn't be apologizing since it wasn't her fault but their voices were too busy to tell her that. They both cried on her shoulder and all Ichigo could do was hold them. Mint walked over and rubbed Lettuce's back as Zakuro went over and rubbed Pudding's back. This must be the most painful thing for them.

"But you know, they are probably right," Ichigo told them. All eyes were on her and the crying stop as she said, "If we allowed the sadness and the negative feelings to take over, then they can use that against us. As sad as I am for you, we can not disappoint millions and millions of humans who are counting on us to save them."

What she said is true and with her experience with Kish, she knows what they can do once they have control. Sure it's going to difficult but what choice do they have?

Sadly, both Lettuce and Pudding nodded in Ichigo's arms. Mint thought that wasn't enough so she said, "Also, it seems that both Pai and Taruto are angry about a misunderstanding. If we tell them the truth then maybe things can go back to the ways things used to be. It's a long shot but it's worth a try, right? For their sake at least." Lettuce and Pudding were shocked by her words but she has a really good point.

Pudding wiped her tears away and yelled out, "I'm okay now! I will tell Taru-Taru the truth and get him back!"

Lettuce wiped her tears and smiled. She mumbled, "I won't give up on Pai-senpai, no matter what." Ichigo smiled too as both Lettuce and Pudding backed away from her. Lettuce asked Ichigo, "Don't you have a date?"

Ichigo widen her eyes and asked, "You guys know?"

"How can we not when we heard you and Ryou arguing?" Mint asked.

Still surprised, Ichigo asked, "So you guys didn't come to take me back?"

"The agents only attack us once a night so I'm sure you're safe now," Zakuro pointed. "You better go even though he probably already left. It's important so hurry."

Ichigo got up and nodded. "Right! See you later if I survive." She didn't wait for a response. She just ran for the park and during her run, she turned back into Ichigo again.

'_Kisshu!...I'm so sorry!'_ she thought on her way to the park.

She just ran and ran down the sidewalk and into the park when she saw the familiar bridge. She made sharp turns and forgot about her pain on her back or on her ankle when she made sudden movements. She just wanted to get to Kisshu and the moonlight helped her find her way. However when she reached where she was supposed to meet him, she stopped for a breather. She took a few deep breathes and then looked around for him. He was nowhere in sight. She stood up straight and looked at her watch; 7:59.

"He's not here," she mumbled, still staring at her watch. She dropped her hand and sniffed. "I guess I can't blame him. He's been so nice with understanding that we can't do things like a regular couple can and now when we tried, I didn't show. I didn't even call him. He probably hates me now." Tears were leaking from the side of her eyes as she looked up at the sky. All she saw where the stars twinkling at her and the full moon shining on her.

'_Stupid moon and stupid stars…'_ she thought as she started to let bigger tears fall from her eyes.

"Ichigo!!"

At that one sound, her heart started to pound fast and hard. It was like her heart beats five times every two seconds. Slowly she turned around and she saw Kisshu leaning on his knees and he was breathing hard like he just ran the marathon. She couldn't believe her eyes or even her ears who can hear his breathing as clear as day.

He looked up at her and said, "I'm sorry I'm late. You wouldn't believe what happened." When he saw her red nose, her puffy eyes, and her tear stains, he lost his smile. He asked, "Ichigo, were you crying?"

When she heard his question, she tried to giggle to make him get the wrong idea as she said, "No! I was just wondering where you were and dust got in my eyes and…" She couldn't finish her sentence because more tears started to leak out of relief. "See! More dust. I swear the air is so-"

She couldn't finish her sentence again because Kisshu pulled her into a hug and that took her off guard. She remained speechless as her eyes widen in surprise. His hold on her tightened as he said, "I'm sorry, Ichigo. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I know things have been hard and weird. Trust me, I had my shares. But no matter what happens, when you call me I will come. I love you, Ichigo."

Those three little words made Ichigo's heart pounded hard and louder. She was getting really excited and her ears and her tail popped out. Kisshu didn't mind in the least but Ichigo was getting a little worried. His words made her forget all about them.

He pulled away to look at her and he gave her a comforting smile. He said, "You don't have to answer me yet since I know about you and Dren. But for now, I just want you to know so stop crying will you?" His hand went to her face and he wiped away from sneaky tears. She didn't even knew that she was crying till he showed her a tear on his fingers.

"Sorry. More dust," she excused.

"More dust my ass," he told her. All they did was laugh at the statement. The laughter made Ichigo's ears and tail shrink down to give her back her human ears.

'_Kisshu is so sweet and he's so caring,'_ Ichigo thought.

After they calmed down, Kisshu asked, "Want to go to some fast food and come back? I came here so fast I forgot the food at home. In fact, my brothers were giving me heat about coming tonight. I had to sneak out." Ichigo grabbed his hand and lead him to outside the park.

"No kidding! I had to do the same thing. I swear, Ryou acts like an over protective guardian," she told him.

He held her hand in his and asked, "Want to run away and elope?" His question made Ichigo's tail and ears come back.

"Kisshu!" she yelled, getting embarrassed.

"Kidding! Kidding!" he told her. "But it's not a bad idea if you ask me."

"We're only thirteen for god's sake!"

"Fourteen, honey. Did too much adventure make your mind loopy?"

"Oh stop that, jerk!"

After a bit, Ichigo's ears and tail shrink again just in time for the humans to see her with Kisshu. They went to a fast food restaurant and ordered take outs. They went back to the park and had dinner outside under the moonlight just liked they originally planned; just now with fast food as dinner. Not really the best dinner a girl always dreamed out, but it was just perfect for Ichigo.

'_Even though we don't go out like a regular couple does… we're hardly… a regular couple but we try to make the most of it and that's good enough.'_

Kisshu noticed a small little sauce on her face and she noticed him staring at her. She didn't say anything while Kisshu went to her and licked the sauce away from her face. She turned beet red while he only smiled at her. She playfully hit him for that.

'_So what if we don't go on dates so much as a regular couple? We see each other everyday at school, we have to dance together, and he stays with me when I'm at work when he doesn't have too.'_

"Ichigo!" he called.

"Yeah?"

"I have something for you," he told her. Her face got red and her heart started to get excited again but she tried to breath.

She asked, "You do?"

He went to his pocket and he presented a red ribbon. But it looked more than just a ribbon. In the middle is a golden bell that, to Ichigo, shined brighter than any star in the galaxy. It was a collar and it was the more beautiful than a ring.

"Let's just say that this collar reminded me a lot of you," he told her.

She couldn't help but say, "Kisshu, it's beautiful."

He chuckled and said, "It's a collar, honey. Not an engagement ring."

"I don't care and it's more beautiful than any ring," she told him, getting a little red.

His smile got brighter as he asked, "Then can I put it on?" She smiled and nodded.

He went to her and tied the collar around her neck. They were so close when he was tying collar on. When he was done, he stared into Ichigo's eyes and she stared into his. Then in response, they moved closer to each other and closed their eyes. Without any distraction at all what so ever, they were finally able to press their lips against one another. At first, Ichigo felt guilt but now, it was like all of her worries were balloons and they finally flouted away to the sky. Her taste was so sweet to Kisshu and his was so irresistible to Ichigo.

'_I think that I could be in love with Kisshu.'_

They parted and only stared into each other eyes again.

'_Please god…don't let the moon and the stars disappear.'_


	12. Kidnapped

**A/N: Hello everyone!! Isn't this a surprise? In a short period of time, I was able to unleash a lot of chapters for this story.**

**Kuro: That's because you got smart and started dividing the chapters into a more equal size. Even though this is a long chapter.**

**Tsukiko: Shut up! This chapter isn't as long as the ones before! This chapter is at least half of those insanely chapters! I probably won't chapters that long ever again for this story.**

**Kuro: Probably? –Tsukiko glared at her and Kuro ignored that- Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming because they inspire Tsukiko to write quicker.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When someone important to you is taken away, of course you would feel sad but what if that person was starting to transform into a monster right before your eyes?_

Ch. 12: Kidnapped

_Running. That's all he's doing in this total darkness. No roads to run on, no ground, no wind, no pain, or anything to prove to Kisshu that this is real. Is it even real? He didn't even know where he's running too or who he's running away from. All he seems to be doing is running. Usually by now, he would be feeling the pain in his legs, the burning in his chest, and the sweat pouring down his face. But like the area around him, nothing._

"_Kisshu!"_

_Finally he stopped after hearing that voice. He turned around when he stopped and he saw someone he thought he would never see again. Before him is a woman with short red hair and dark eyes. She looked like she's in her late twenties or early thirties as she was holding onto a man in her arms; half of him anyway. Her clothes was covered in blood and there were some on her face too, along with some salt water dripping down her face; tears._

_The man she's holding was cut in half and that was where most of the blood was coming from. He had black spiked hair and tan hair. He looked about the same age as the woman holding him but more than anything, he looks dead because he is. Mr. Mrs. Momomiya but he thought they died a while ago._

_The weirder thing is that the woman wasn't looking at Kisshu exactly. She was looking somewhere else. She asked, "Kisshu! What's wrong with you? Why are you doing this?"_

'_**Doing what?'**__ Kisshu wondered._

_He followed her gaze and right next to him is a different being but he looked almost exactly like him. His hair color is the same but it was fixed differently, his skin is as pale as bone, his attire is really different, and his eyes are glowing red. The big thing about him is that he has big elf like ears, fangs, and claws soaked in blood._

_He brought his bloody claw to his mouth and he licked some blood from it. He said, "Sorry, sweetheart. The name is Kish. Kisshu is long gone." Kisshu was deeply confused by what was happening but he didn't have time to think._

_Kish charged at Mrs. Momomiya and Kisshu tried to yell, "Stop it!" Then right in front of him, he heard Mrs. Momomiya's scream before she was sliced in half by Kish's claws. Her upper half went to the other side of the living room and she died on the spot. Kish only smirked in delight and he licked his claws again._

"_How refreshing, right?" Kish asked, turning to face Kisshu._

_His eyes widen in surprise and he asked, "Who are you?"_

"_I'm you," Kish answered. Kish walked towards Kisshu but he took a few steps back._

"_What do you mean? You're an agent, aren't you?"_

"_Right and if I'm an agent then so are you."_

"_But agents are the angel's enemies. I'm not an enemy to them."_

"_You are but you didn't know. Why didn't you think it was weird that you only remembered what happened during the day but not night?"_

"_I remember the nights."_

"_Oh do you? You only remember the nights I don't come out; the night of the full moon. You don't remember the other nights though, do you?"_

_Kisshu stopped walking backwards and Kish smirked. Got him._

"_Just face the truth already because every day that you don't accept it, the more harder it will be when she finds out." She? Ichigo?_

"_I'm not an agent!"_

"_You're only saying that because you don't want to hurt Ichigo than you already have. Don't you remember what happened when she ran after you? Don't you remember her face covered in tears and dirt from tripping?"_

'_**I don't want to be left alone!'**_

"Ichigo!!" Kisshu called, waking up. After a few seconds, he looked around and he was safely inside his room; like always and he has no idea how he got there. He sat up in his bed and held his head in his hands.

'_Just a dream but that's the fifth time I had dreams like that. Some strange, monstrous guy appears and shows me visions of him killing people. This is the first time he actually talked to me though,'_ he thought in distress.

"What the hell is going on?" he wondered out loud.

"What's going on is that you're going to be late for school."

He looked up and he saw Taruto with his hands on his hip and he looked angry. "I'm sorry, _mom_. I must have forgotten to turn my alarm clock off," Kisshu told him, not in the mood for him right now. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you go meet Pudding in the park?" Taruto didn't speak right away about that subject. He took a moment or two before he said something.

"I think you need a new alarm clock." He walked over to the closed windows and said, "Like this." He opened up the windows and sunlight came pouring in. Usually sunlight didn't bother Kisshu that much but he suddenly felt this huge pain from it.

"Aah!" he let out, getting under the covers. Taruto stared at him confused by that. He usually only flinches at the sudden light; not hid from it. "Close it!" Kisshu told him, in a harsher voice.

"Uh?"

"Close the damn curtains!" he yelled, with the same, harsh voice.

Taruto did as he was asked and walked over towards Kisshu's bed. When he pulled the cover down, he saw Kisshu with red eyes. He gasped at that site as he saw more of what Kisshu had. He was gritting his teeth together and he could see his canines are agent size. After he calmed down a bit from taking in the darkness, his canines returned to normal size and the red eyes disappeared from Kisshu's face. His eyes went back to his golden amber ones.

Kisshu pulled the covers over his head and said, "I don't feel good so I'm not going to school. If nii-san complains, then give him complaints about his ex-girlfriend." Kisshu used to say that all the time when he was younger and both Taruto and Pai usually have to pull him off the bed and drag him to school. But after what Taruto saw, he decided to let it be.

"Fine, but come down to eat once in a while," he said before he walked to the door and closed it behind him.

"Is he going to school or not?" Pai asked, suddenly appearing.

Taruto looked up at him and answered, "Nii-san's condition is getting worst. First the sudden hunger for blood during the day, the cries in his sleep, and now being allergic to sunlight like he's a vampire." Pai looked deep in thought while Taruto finished, "Nii-sama, we have to find that ring or else who knows what happens."

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"I'm sorry to say that Kisshu ******Takokujin is reported sick today and is unable to come to school. Everyone else is present, right?" the teacher asked.**

******Everyone answered, "Yes." Ichigo was the only one who didn't though.**

'_He's sick? I guess it's to be expected. He was sent to the nurses office two days in a row during the middle of classes. Seems like he finally listened to my advice about staying home. I hope he's okay,'_ Ichigo thought as she gently touched her bell on her collar. She flicked it and it let out a small little chime.

After that announcement, class began. Even though her eyes were staring at the books, Ichigo's head was in the clouds. Sure she got the answer once in a while, but they were all half correct. Someone else always had to finish for her. After school, she packed her stuff and started her way to the dance studio. As she walked towards the studio, she stopped for a bit to look outside and she saw that the sun was hiding real well behind the clouds.

"I wonder if it'll rain?" she wondered, before starting her way towards the studio again.

When she got there, she put on some killer high heels that she thought she could never walk in but surprisingly, she can dance in them. She walked over to the dance teacher and said, "Kisshu won't be coming today."

She asked, "Why not? The dance is in tomorrow."

"I know but he called in sick."

The dance teacher let out a sigh and said, "I see. My, that's a problem."

_Boom_

Both the dance teacher and Ichigo looked up and they both saw Kisshu leaning on the door, trying to breathe.

"Sorry. I'm. Late," he said between breathes.

Ichigo was surprised to see him as the dance teacher said, "You seem well enough to dance but you look exhausted. I'll give you five minutes of rest and then we'll begin, okay?"

Kisshu nodded and said, "Thanks." Unable to hold it any longer, Ichigo rushed to Kisshu's side and all the dance teacher did was smile before she walked away.

"Kisshu, why are you here? I thought you were sick," she said.

He told her, "I was but this afternoon I was fine. Nii-san wanted me to stay but this is the final practice before tomorrow night. I don't want to get in anymore trouble if I made a mistake." This shocked Ichigo but she only nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Who knows what else they'll do to us if even I made a mistake." Kisshu patted her shoulder and then walked right passed her.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he told her, walking to a chair.

That both hurt and shocked Ichigo. Usually he would smile at her and say something stupid that would put her in a better mood. That wasn't the only thing that she noticed that was wrong with him. During practice, the dance teacher decided to watch and then tell them what's wrong afterwards. During the dance, Ichigo noticed that his hold was too tight or too strong and he was looking at her with such cold eyes that it scared her. The dance told her to save the fear for the last part of the dance and deep down, Kisshu was surprised that Ichigo felt fear for him. He loosen his hold and tried to not stare at her with cold eyes. She noticed the sudden change as well.

After class, and a lot of advices on what to do for tomorrow night, both Ichigo and Kisshu walked to the park like always but like the dance, Ichigo noticed something. Kisshu didn't talk, smiled, or even got out of his thoughts for a single moment during the walk. He didn't even hold her hand. She was starting to feel the fear from before but she also felt stress. They stopped at their usual bench and still there was silence. Finally, Ichigo had enough.

"Kisshu?" she called. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and she asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You've been acting weird all day." He completely faced her with a surprised face but didn't say anything.

"I have?" he asked. She only nodded and stared at him with soft pleading eyes. He looked back at the ground and said, "Sorry." She widen her eyes again but it narrowed back to sad eyes.

"You know you can tell me anything, Kisshu," she reminded him. He looked at her and she said, "I told you my secrets and my worries. If there are any worries at all, you can tell me. You know that right?"

"You know I do," he said.

"Then tell me what the hell is going on! I'm scared, Kisshu!" she confessed. His eyes widen at that as she explained. "I'm scared because you're not yourself and if you're not telling me then how do I know that you trust me? Don't you trust me at all?" There was silence after that and all Kisshu could do was stare at her in shock.

After a few seconds, Kisshu did something that really surprised Ichigo. His hand went to the back of her head and he moved closer. His other hand went to her lower waist and he pulled her closer. Then he closed his eyes and kissed her. Her eyes widen at that and without hesitation, Kisshu pushed Ichigo's head closer to deepen the kiss. Even his hold on her waist was tightening around her. Her eyes closed because of the force but she was not enjoying this. The kiss felt forced, desperate, and not at all like the kiss they shared their first time. In fact, it almost felt like…

"No!" she cried, pushing him away. She turned away from him and covered her mouth with her hand while her other arm was holding herself to try and keep it together. Kisshu only sat there in pure shock. What was he…

"Ichigo?" he called, but she didn't turn to look at him. From what he can see, she was practically shaking where she sat. He didn't hear any sobbing noises so she can't be crying so she must be…scared.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and lightly leaned on her from behind. "I'm sorry, Ichigo," he apologized. She stopped shaking and listened. "I don't know what came over me…I was just…" He sounded like he couldn't finish what he was going to say. He gripped her shoulders but not too hard and said, "I'm sorry."

She placed her hand on his and told him, "It's okay. I know you won't do it again, right?" Surprised by her touch and her words, he nodded and she felt it from her back. "Then forget it happened. Forgive and forget, right?"

"Right."

She turned around to look at him and he actually smiled at her. That was the smile that Ichigo was hoping for. He pushed a few strands of hair from her face and asked, "Can I?"

She nodded and said, "Sure." With permission granted, her lightly kissed her lips and she kissed him back.

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

Ichigo broke the kiss and both Kisshu and her looked at her pocket. She went to it and took out her phone. That wasn't ringing but what was? She went to it again and she had her blotch in her pocket. That was ringing.

'_Ichigo-san! Can you hear me?'_

That was Keiichiro.

Ichigo answered, "Keiichiro? What is it?"

'_There's an agent attack in the middle of the park in a deserted area. Everyone else already went there to investigate.'_

Well brought some spark of worry for Ichigo and Kisshu. Ichigo answered, "We're on our way!"

'_We're?'_

"Yeah, Kisshu's with me too. We'll be where the others are soon." Then she just put her phone and her blotch away. "Let's go!"

He nodded and grabbed her hand. Even though she was happy about that, there was no time for that. He lifted her up and they both went running towards the center of the park.

"I wonder why they started attacking all of a sudden," Ichigo wondered out loud.

Kisshu asked, "You're asking someone who has no idea what these guys look like or even capable of?" Right after he asked that, he remembered his dreams with 'Kish' in them. He knows what one of them look like and he knows what he's capable of.

"You're right," she said. "Sorry." Kisshu didn't mind it since his mind is already on a different subject.

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_Ten minutes before the call…_

"Finally! R200 is finally finished," Keiichiro let out in relief. Ryou heard him and looked over his shoulder to see R200 complete and he looks like he's sound asleep.

"Okay then, let's start him up and see if he remembers what happened to him," Ryou said. He leaned over and gently pushed R200. "R200, respond." Like waking up from a peaceful sleep, R200 opened his eyes and blinked multiple times. Then he went crazy.

"Agent alert! Agent Alert! Agent Alert!" he alarmed, flying all over the place. Ryou and Keiichiro had to cover their ears to try and block out the alarms.

"Calm down, R200!" Ryou said, catching the little flying robot. R200 finally stopped letting out alarms and Ryou asked, "Take a minute to check. Are there any agents in their area now?" Obeying the order he was given, he took a minute before he answer.

"No agents. No agents."

Ryou looked at Keiichiro and Keiichiro concluded, "It must be an alarm he had before he was crushed."

Ryou then asked R200, "Explain to us exactly what happened before now."

R200 answered, "R200 being a good robot. Doing what R200 was told. Cleaned up the yard and watching human. Once finished, R200 heard moaning from human. Looked over and human looked hurt. Cried out and then went to get help but was stopped. The human is really an agent. Saw red eyes and sensed dark aura to prove it. Last thing R200 felt was agent's hand crushing R200's body." After that, both Ryou and Keiichiro were shocked but not as shocked as what the others might feel when they find out.

"So your hunch was correct," Keiichiro said.

Ryou closed his eyes and when he opened them, he had on an emotionless face on. "Kisshu is really an agent and how much you want to bet he's Kish?"

"Nothing because I know it's true. From what we've heard, Pai is Sardon and Taruto is Tart. Since Kisshu and Kish sound the same, how couldn't we be sure?" Keiichiro asked.

"Because we were denying the fact for Ichigo's sake," Ryou answered.

Keiichiro let out a sigh and asked, "How are we going to tell her?" Before Ryou could answer, R200 went off again.

"Agent alert! Agent Alert! Agent alert!" Ryou and Keiichiro covered their ears again and Ryou grabbed the flying robot again.

"We get the point, R200. Now shut up!"

"Can't shut up! Can't shut up!" R200 told him. He said, "In the park! In the park! Agents! Agents!" Just to be sure, Keiichiro went to his computer and on his computer, there are two signals of agents in the middle of the park.

"He's right, Prince Ryou. In the middle of the park, I have signals of agents being there," Keiichiro told him.

Ryou mumbled under his breath, "Stupid Ichigo being late!" He started to run to the stairs as he said, "I'll tell the others! Contact Ichigo!"

"Understood!" R200 stayed behind and watched Keiichiro as he put his head set on and typed away. "Ichigo-san! Can you hear me?"

'_Keiichiro? What is it?'_ he heard Ichigo asked on the other side.

He explained, "There's an agent attack in the middle of the park in a deserted area. Everyone else already went there to investigate."

'_We're on our way!'_

Keiichiro was confused to hear that but yet again he knew exactly who she meant. "We're?"

'_Yeah, Kisshu's with me too. We'll be where the others are soon.'_ Ichigo seemed to have stopped answering after that. Keiichiro called him but she didn't answer.

Ryou came up from behind and reported, "The others already went to look for the agents. Did you contact Ichigo?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Did you tell her about Kisshu?"

"She hang up before I could and she's with him right now."

A bit cautious, Ryou asked, "What time is it?"

Keiichiro answered, "It's almost sunset."

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Both Ichigo and Kisshu ran to the middle of the park and when they were starting to get close, they heard fighting. Explosions, cries of attacks, and they could see black and white lights up ahead. They quickened their pace when they saw and heard all of that. When they finally reached the spot, it was an open area that was surrounded by trees for human eyes not to see. They rested behind a tree for now and Kisshu leaned on a tree with his back against the bark while Ichigo was leaning on Kisshu.

They both looked out and they saw Sardon, Tart, and the other Mew Mews fighting against one another. Lettuce and Pudding looked like they were struggling but Mint and Zakuro weren't.

Kisshu couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't Lettuce and Pudding fighting back?" That's right! Ichigo didn't tell Kisshu anything about Pai and Taruto being agents.

Not answering his question, Ichigo announced, "I'm going in! You stay here!"

Kisshu grabbed her arms and told her, "Now hold on! You expect me to just watch?"

"What can you do in there?" Ichigo asked. That made Kisshu flinch and Ichigo saw his pained face. She buried her face in his chest and told him, "Please just wait here. I don't want you to get hurt."

'_But more importantly, I don't want to lose you,'_ Ichigo thought, tightening her grip on his shirt.

Kisshu let out a sigh and hugged her. She widen her eyes at that as he said, "Fine but if you get to that point where you need help, I'm coming in."

Ichigo asked, "Just like last time, right?"

"Just like last time."

She looked up at him and she saw his smiling face looking down at her. He gently rubbed her cheek and then quickly kissed her. She kissed him back and then parted away.

"I'll be fine. I promise," she told him. She pulled away from his hold and took out her golden blotch. "Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!!"

When the pink light shined, Kisshu's eyes hurt but in a different way. He looked the other way and hid behind the tree from the fighting scene in front. When he opened his eyes, they were red again but they calmed down to golden amber when the pink light faded.

Immediately, Mew Ichigo summoned her Strawberry Bell and charged into battle. She yelled, "Ribbon Strawberry Check!" Her attack went straight for Tart and Sardon but they flew away before it hit them. Ichigo grunted when she landed on the ground and she saw that her attacked had missed.

Kisshu watched the scene from behind and he saw the agents. They sure looked similar to the agent in his dream but they had different hair color, hair style, clothes, and eye color. But their eye color was very familiar.

"Took you long enough!" Mint yelled at Ichigo. She got upset real easy after hearing that.

"Well sorry! Where I was, you were the closest ones to this area!"

"Well if you hadn't spend so much time with Kisshu, then you have gotten here when we did!"

"Hanging out with my boyfriend has nothing to do with how fast I got here! I felt like I was running a three meter dash just to get here!"

"Kisshu?" Both angels were distracted from their argument as they looked up at Tart and he asked, "Is her here now? Where is he?" Everyone down there was confused by his question. What does he want with Kisshu?

Sardon created a black blast in his hand and he aimed it at the angels. It grew and grew as he asked, "Tell us where he is now!"

Thinking that he might use Kisshu against them, Ichigo yelled, "No where you can get him, that's for sure!"

"Then…" He didn't say anymore as he launched his attack to them.

Zakuro summoned her weapon and yelled, "Ribbon Zakuro Spear!!" Her whip hit the blast and it went straight for a different direction; where Kisshu is.

Ichigo gasped as she watched the blast heading straight for Kisshu. He saw that and jumped out of the way before the blast hit a tree and sucked the life out of it. When Kisshu saw that, he was surprised by that. He landed on the ground but tripped. He was out in the open and he fell on his butt too.

"Kisshu!" she called, running to him. When she was by his side, she helped him up and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he told her getting up.

The way he was staring at her made Sardon grunted and Tart angry. Tart wondered, _'Why is he acting like this?'_ Finally he asked, "What the hell is wrong with you, nii-san!"

Everyone looked up at Tart in surprised. What did he just say? His question affected both Ichigo and Kisshu the most. Ichigo felt her heart starting to quicken it's pace in beating as Kisshu was just plain confused by Tart's question.

"What are you talking about, brat?" Kisshu asked, really confused. Tart always got called that when Kisshu is really angry but this time, Kisshu calling him a 'brat' made him feel a little hurt. Seeing that he still doesn't get it, both Tart and Sardon teleported. They both teleported to the ground and Tart looks like he has tears in his eyes.

"You stupid nii-san! Don't you know me?" he yelled at him. Ichigo's heart was beating harder in her chest as Kisshu raised a brow.

"I never seen you before until now when you're trying to kill these angels!" he told him.

Sardon said, "Little brother, you're making our brother cry." Now that confused Ichigo but at the same time, it made sense. Yet she didn't want to believe it.

Tart yelled, "I'm not crying!"

"What the hell is going on?!" Kisshu asked. Then Ichigo collapsed to the ground. She didn't even notice that she was shaking until her legs got weak. She was afraid about this. Worried, Kisshu ignored the agents and bent down to Ichigo's level. "Honey, you okay? Ichigo?"

"Kisshu, please look at us!"

Kisshu looked at the agents from the corner of his eye and then turned his head completely towards them, his eyes widen in surprise. Ichigo looked up too and she saw that Tart and Sardon return back to Taruto and Pai.

Kisshu was nearly speechless but he was able to mumble, "Taruto? Pai? My…"

Pai greeted, "Sorry you had to learn about it this way, little brother." Then Ichigo's eyes widen in pure terror.

She looked up at Kisshu's face, gripped his shirt, and pleaded, "Did you lie to me, Kisshu? Are these your brothers?" She was hoping for a 'no', but he looked like he was having a hard time answering.

"I…I…" Kisshu mumbled but no words would utter from his mouth. Right at the moment, the sun started to set. When the sun was started hiding, Kisshu felt the same terrible pain in his chest. He felt like his chest is on fire and his quick heartbeats pulsed the fire throughout his body. He bent over in pain and gripped his chest.

Ichigo forgot all about her fear before and then got worried about her boyfriend's well being. "Kisshu! Kisshu! What's wrong? Kisshu?" she asked. He only gripped his chest as the pain continued. Ichigo saw his pain and pulled him to her. His head on her lap as she held him to calm him down. "Kisshu! Please calm down! I'm right here! I'm right here…"

Finally getting what Ryou and Keiichiro were discussing earlier, Zakuro yelled, "Mew Ichigo! Get away from him! He's an agent!" Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding couldn't believe her words at first. Then Zakuro readied her whip and aimed it at Kisshu.

"No!!" Ichigo cried, seeing the whip coming towards him. She summoned her Strawberry Bell and aimed it at the whip as she cried, "Ribbon Strawberry Check!" The attack hit Zakuro's whip right of her hands. She held her wrist in pain and grunted. When she looked at Ichigo, she was leaning against a still in pain Kisshu and she's crying. "He's not an agent! He's not an agent! He's just possessed! We can help him."

"Ichigo…" Mint softly called.

Ichigo screamed, "HE'S NOT AN AGENT!!!!!"

"Damn it!" Pai swore as he turned back into Sardon. Taruto dried his tears and turned back to Tart.

Tart summoned drum sticks and like he was hitting drums, he was pounding the air and created rock drum music with it. The loud, throbbing noise made all of the Mew Angels cover their ears and let out a painful cry. Ichigo wasn't affected by the noise so she could have stopped him but she still leaned on Kisshu to protect him.

Kisshu opened his eyes slightly and stared at the crying Ichigo. His golden amber eyes looked cat like and he was sweating. He lightly opened his mouth and he has two long fangs. When he looked at Ichigo, the way she looked pained him but when he saw her bare neck, he forgotten all about it. He put his hands on Ichigo's arms and reached up for her neck. Seeing Kisshu doing this, Ichigo didn't move and she stopped crying.

"Kis…shu?" she softly called. On her skin, she felt his cold breath on hers. Wait! Cold? Aren't breathes supposed to be hot? The only breathe she felt that was cold was when…

"Damn him!" Tart cursed.

Sardon's hands were covered in blue electricity for a moment and when he closed it, Kisshu disappeared before he bit Ichigo as the electricity disappeared from Sardon's hands. Ichigo just froze as Kisshu disappeared right in front of her, leaving a trail of blue electricity behind.

Tart stopped playing as Sardon said, "Now that we have him, there is no need to stay here any longer."

Tart stick his tongue out and said, "See ya, losers!"

Right before they could leave, Ichigo looked at them and cried, "Give Kisshu back! Give him back to me!" When Tart and Sardon looked down at her looking like this, she reminded them a lot of how Lettuce and Pudding reacted when they found out that they were enemies or agents. It kind of rubbed them in the wrong way.

Sardon asked, colder than usual, "Why would you want an agent back?"

"Agents and Angels are destined to be enemies! No agent should ever have a relationship with an angel! You can't even touch one another without hurting each other!" Tart yelled, gritting his teeth together. The pain in her chest only grew for being reminded of that.

After he said that, both Sardon and him had that pained face. Lettuce and Pudding noticed it and widen their eyes in surprise. Could it be that maybe, just maybe they were feeling the same pain they were feeling too?

Right after that, both Tart and Sardon teleported away before Lettuce or Pudding got the chance to call for them. Zakuro growled at what happened and Mint had her eyes on Ichigo. She was upset about what happened too but she seemed to not be as bad as Ichigo. She approached her friend and called, "Ichigo?"

When Mint saw her, Ichigo had tears falling down her eyes uncontrollably and endless. Kisshu's an agent? He's been taken away…taken away.

Without warning, she got up and started running.

Mint yelled, "Ichigo!"

Lettuce yelled, "Ichigo-san!"

Pudding yelled, "Ichigo onee-chan!" They called for her while Zakuro only watched her go.

Ichigo didn't listen to their cries. She didn't want to stop and hear them. She just wanted to run away. Run away from them, run away from what just happened, run away from her past; all of it. She just wanted to run. Leaving a trail of tears behind.


	13. Choose! Kisshu or Kish!

**A/N: Hi everyone!! This must be really fast for you since I didn't really sent out chapters for this story out so soon. But since I'm pretty much done with chapters that are like 36 pages long, I can let out chapters out faster and that means that I can get to my other two stories faster.**

**Kuro: I wonder if they want to get to those stories so soon…**

**Tsukiko: Okay! That's it! I'm out of here and if you even think of a sorry, don't even bother!! –leaves-**

**Kuro: Tsukiko!! –all eyes on her- Ahhhhh. –gulps- Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the reviews and please keep them coming. Thank you and please enjoy. –runs after Tsukiko- Tsukiko!! Stop being such a baby!!**

_When you are betrayed, would you do the last thing you thought you were ever do?_

Ch. 13: Choose! Kisshu or Kish!

"Hey, nii-san! Get up! Nii-san!"

'_That voice? Taruto? What the hell is he yelling about?'_ Kisshu wondered, coming through the thick darkness of unconsciousness.

"Do you think we should give him some blood?"

"He has his ring on, younger brother. I don't think he needs blood now."

'_Blood? Now what is nii-san talking about?'_

"Yeah, after we looked all over the damn park just to find the damn thing! Hey, look! He moved!"

'_Don't tell me you're going to announce everything I do, are you Taruto? And what ring?'_

After that thought, Kisshu opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times to get clear vision but maybe he hasn't gain his sight back. Then two faces looked over him and he saw pale faces of Sardon and Tart. Okay, two pale faces in what looks like darkness. Where is he?

"Kish, are you alright?" Sardon asked. Kisshu brought his hand to his head and rubbed his forehead, tiredly.

"My head hurts as all hell and I feel weird," he answered. "Why do I also feel hungry?"

Sardon answered, "It's because you didn't have any blood last night."

Kisshu sat up and asked, "Now why the hell would I need blood?"

When he opened his eyes and he looked at his hand, he saw a black ring on his left ring finger. He looked at his hand and he saw the sharp claws. A flash of one of his dreams with a blood soaked claw went though his mind and he suddenly had a bad feeling. He used his fingers to touch his teeth and he flinched back from a sudden pain from his canines. He looked at his finger and it looked like it was cut but no blood. The cut healed by itself right in front of him and that's not normal. Then he touched his head and he felt a wrapped lock of hair and big ears. He looked back at his brothers and they still looked like how they did when he first saw them as agents.

"What the hell is going on?!" he asked, his voice cracked from surprise.

Sardon said, "Calm down, little brother. Just take a breath or two and-"

"How can I breath when I have claws and fangs?! And why are you an agent? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You're an agent, too genius!" Tart told him. Kisshu took a moment of silence before he spoke again.

"I'm not an agent!"

"You have claws, you have fangs, you had non-human ears, you have bat wings, and you're hungry! Those are all the features of an agent as you can see!" Tart told him, flapping his wings in the process. Kisshu, or Kish, still didn't accept that fact.

"I'm not an agent, damn it!"

"Are you only saying this because you don't want to hurt Ichigo?" Sardon asked. That hit the spot. Kisshu looked at Sardon as he said, "We had to go through pain because of those angels. You had a relationship with one so you will go through almost exactly what we went through and for all we know, she's probably going through with it just fine."

Kisshu was confused so he asked, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"She saw you transforming when the sun was setting, Kish," Tart told him. As shocked as Kisshu could be of that, he still had no idea what they mean.

"Don't call me that! I'm not a murder." He practically mumbled the last part but they heard him.

"So you do know who you are," Sardon said.

Kisshu told him, "That murder has nothing to do with me! He's the one who killed-"

"Killed Ichigo's parents?" Sardon asked. Now Kisshu was speechless.

Tart told him, "Kish, we were there when you announced it to us after you stole that old hag's first kiss." Kisshu blinked in confusion of that until a memory of himself as Kish kissed Ichigo off guard flashed in his mind. He held his hand with one hand and his eyes were wide with surprise.

"What the-" He didn't finish because he didn't want to. Sardon and Tart looked at each other for a bit until a paler hand went right through them and touched Kisshu's forehead. All three looked up and they saw their lord, smirking.

"I believe you need some more rest before anything else happens," he said. Kisshu felt like he heard that voice before but then his hand glowed black and he suddenly felt really sleepy. Before he knew it, his eye lids felt really heavy and he his whole body fell backwards. He went back to sleep with a memory filled dream.

Tart asked, "Wha-What did you do to him?"

Deep Blue retracted his hand and answered, "I only unleashed his memories and then made him fall fast asleep. If he's awake when his memories run through, it will be quick troublesome when he's sees the memories he committed. All you two need to do is wait and see his reaction when he wakes up."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Do you think Ichigo-san is okay?" Lettuce asked, walking with the other three mew mews.

Zakuro answered, "You went through the shock of Pai being an agent. How did you deal with it?"

"It wasn't like that. Pai-senpai was there when I started to control water. Sure he was surprise but he told me that something weird was happening to him too. Then he showed me and I didn't run. I stayed and we figured that we needed each other to support the other because no one else can understand what we're going through. Until now, Zakuro-san," Lettuce explained.

Pudding then said, "I was shocked that Taru-Taru is an agent. I was also afraid that he will leave me and he did. I still feel that pain in here." She placed her hands over her heart and she had that very sad expression on her face. It made Lettuce have the same face.

Mint mumbled, "It must be hard to have the one you care about end up being your enemy and say such harsh words to you."

Lettuce looked at her and noticed, "I'm surprised that you believe that you don't feel the same, Mint-san. Didn't you like Kisshu-san too?"

Mint nodded and answered, "Yes, I liked him. But for someone like me who liked him to feel like this must mean that for someone who loved him must be going through much worst."

After she said that, they all ready arrived at the café; surprisingly there was a line of customers waiting. They walked into the café and they saw something else surprising.

"Welcome to the café!" Ichigo greeted happily as if there was nothing wrong. "I'll be right with you!" She went to the kitchen and came out with four trays of sweets and drinks. She delivered each tray to four different tables and then went back to the line. "Please come this way." She lead four girls to a table and then said, "Today, we have a fruit tart special that comes with oolong tea and your choice of either ice cream, a piece of cake, or whip cream. Please excuse me." She went to the kitchen and then came out with four trays again. When she came out, that was when she saw the four shocked mew mews.

She greeted with a sweet smile, "Hello everyone! Mint, we have a new delivery of gray tea! I already saved you a table for you to try it. Pudding! I asked many people to come and see your show so you better prepare for that! Lettuce, can you help Keiichiro? Someone needs to help clean up the dishes. Zakuro, you can help me too if you want but I have everything under control!"

Mint walked up to her and asked, "Who are those trays for?"

She answered, "Table 6, 3, 8, and 10." Each mew mew had the same idea. They took one tray and quickly delivered them to the table. They came back and Ichigo told them, "You guys, I could have delivered them myself."

"We need a little talk with you!" Mint declared.

Lettuce asked, "Ichigo-san, are you okay?"

Pudding explained, "Yesterday, you just ran and we haven't heard from you since. If it is because of Kisshu onii-chan, we can help you go through it."

Ichigo had that confused look as she asked, "What's with those faces? I'm perfectly fine."

"Liar!" Mint said. Ichigo looked at her with a blank expression and Mint said, "Kisshu was transforming in front of you, you were crying and yelling that he's not an agent, he almost bit you, the other agents kidnapped him before he could, and then they just gave out a little speech of how an agent and an angel should never have a relationship together. You ran out of there as if the big bad wolf was on your tails!"

Ichigo smiled and told them, "Kisshu's not an agent. Sure I'm upset that they took him from me, but tonight I am going to make them give him back and everything will go back to what it used to be. Sure it will be hard since Pai and Taruto were really Kisshu's brothers and now we have to fight them, but I'm sure that we both can go through with it together."

"Excuse me! Can we be seated?" a girl from the line asked.

Another girl at a table asked, "Can we have our order?"

"I would like a check please!"

"Coming!" Ichigo called. She went back to her friends and told them, "I'm fine. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do. Mint, you better drink that tea before it gets cold and Pudding you better hurry and do your show or everyone will get impatient." Then she walked away before the others could say anything else. Since there was nothing else they could do, they went to the dressing rooms to change but they were deeply worried for their leader. She looked to happy to be normally fine.

In the kitchen, watching the whole thing, Ryou was standing by the door and he looked over the door to watch Ichigo. Sure she was smiling and she looked like a not a hint of sadness was affecting her, but who can be so sure.

During the working hours, Mint, Pudding, and Lettuce tried to help but Ichigo told them that Zakuro was good enough even though she barely did anything. She only served three tables that day. Mint took a sip of the tea and even though it was good, she didn't drink all of it. Pudding did her tricks and she got massive tips but for once, the tips didn't put a real smile on her face. She only smiled to show that she appreciates them. Lettuce washed the dishes but she had a lot of time to think and concluded that Ichigo was only trying to hide her sadness but it was defiantly not healthy; like she's one to talk. Ryou watched the whole thing; the worry, the smiles, and the fake happiness.

"One…two…three!!" Ichigo chanted tossing the big bag of garbage into the dumpster. She dusted her hands together and said, "Works done!" She turned around and Ryou was right there. She was surprised to see him but greeted, "Hi, Ryou! Wha'cha need?"

"Nothing at all," he answered.

"Okay, then… What's up?"

"What's with that attitude of yours? You're too happy knowing that your boyfriend is kidnapped and he's an enemy."

Ichigo blinked and said, "He's not an agent. He was just-"

"Ichigo! He's an agent!" Ryou snapped. Ichigo flinched as Ryou explained, "That little robot that was protecting your boyfriend the first time we met was smashed by an agent. We repaired him and he told us that the agent who smashed him is the very human he protected while the sun was setting."

Ichigo said, "I think you need to recheck your robot again. There's no way that Kisshu could be an agent let alone Kish." After she said that, she covered her mouth in shock and Ryou was surprised.

"So you knew? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I didn't know!" she yelled. That was when tears started to leak out of her eyes again. "I didn't know that he started getting weak when the sun shined on him! I didn't know that the reason why he was called home before sunset was because they didn't want him to transform in front of angels! I didn't know that he only came out of the full moon! And I didn't know that the ring he threw away when we first found it means that he's an agent! I didn't know, okay!! I didn't…" Ryou walked to her and lifted her head to look at him. She mumbled, "I…didn't…know…" Then she just leaned on his chest, crying her tears out and he rubbed her back in comfort.

Not very far from the café, a black portal suddenly appeared and a hand entered the human world. After the hand came out, the whole body came out; Kisshu's body in human form. Once he was out, the black portal disappeared.

He spat at the floor and mumbled, "No way in hell I'm an agent! That's ridiculous and I don't care I saw all of that and I don't care if they are my brothers!" He looked down at his hand and in his palm is the black satin ring with the green jewel. With his free hand, he touched his neck. On the right side of his neck is a light black agent mark. Kisshu growled and dropped his hands. He still gripped the ring and then put it into his pocket. "All of this is just simple bull crap! First I have to accept the fact that Ichigo is an angel and now I have to accept the fact that I'm an agent? Well my brothers can take that information and shove it up their asses!"

"I'm scared…"

'_Uh? Ichigo?'_

Forgetting about his anger, he stayed behind the tree he arrived in front of and peeked out. He saw Ichigo leaning on Ryou's chest and she's crying. Ryou had his hands on her back and gently rubbed her in comfort. He was shocked to have seen that and a hate seed started to sprout in his heart.

"I'm scared…I…I don't think I can do this anymore," she told Ryou.

Ryou wrapped his arms around her and told her, "Yes, you can. You need to be strong. You'll defeat them and then we can all live a happy life; war ended and we living in peace." He probably didn't mean it like that, but Kisshu took the wrong idea. The roots wrapped around his heart and it started tightening around it.

Ichigo nodded and answered, "Yes." That one little word made the plant break Kisshu's heart. A sudden wave of hatred and betrayal shoot throughout his body and it burned worst than acid. He looked away from the scene and didn't dare look back. He was trying to breath. All he could hear now is the sound of his own heart breaking and the sound of a voice in his head. The same voice he heard before he went to sleep.

'_**You don't have to fight it anymore. Give in. Give in to the hatred. She betrayed you, Kisshu. She never loved you in the first place. Stop this foolish love fantasy and give into the hatred. All of your pain will stop. Give in…Give in…'**_

This time, Kisshu didn't argue. He leaned on the tree and stayed like that.

"You have a show to do, right? Isn't it tonight?"

"Yeah. It's the dance show."

Kisshu took the black ring out and put it on his ring finger. He smirked and in his mouth are two long canines. He let out a chuckle and then disappeared after being covered in darkness.


	14. Our Last Dance

**A/N: Hi everyone!! I'm sorry that this chapter is a little long but I kind of got a little carried away then what I planned. But I am certain of this! The next chapter will be a long but not 36 pages long, maybe. I don't know! It's when they first hear about Mew Aqua and get it! Oh by the way, Kuro is not here. I banished her from this place. So I'll do the little note.**

**I do NOT own the TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all for the lovely reviews and please keep them coming! I'll write more if you do. Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When someone you love decides to do something that hurts you, would you still chase after him?_

Ch. 14: Our Last Dance

'_What the hell am I going to do?'_ Ichigo wondered, walking back and forth in the dressing room.

It's the night of the dance and she's supposed to be up in ten minutes. She has her dress on which is a strapless red corset with black trimmings and a black open skirt with red roses on the end and a long cut on the side to reveal her legs. Her hair is up in its usual pig tails with a red rose in her left pig tail. She has black eyeliner with red eye shadow and red lipstick on. On her feet are two inch high heels and she wore Kisshu's gift to her around her neck. She's ready and prepared but there is a problem. She doesn't have a partner.

The dance teacher asked her if she had seen Kisshu and Ichigo only shook her head. The dance teacher told her to just go change and if Kisshu doesn't show then she'll put in a substitute. The nervous feeling of not only the huge crowd outside, but also the nervous feeling of wondering where the heck Kisshu is. She believes that she can't dance with feelings or with anything without him. Not to mention, there was no sign of any agent attack anywhere for the first two hours of the night.

"Ichigo! You're on in five minutes!" the dance teacher told her from behind the door. Ichigo walked up to the door and she opened it to reveal herself to the teacher. "Ichigo! You look fantastic! Just like a prostitute."

'_Why oh why she made a dance with a prostitute in it is beyond me,'_ she thought for a short amount of time.

Immediately and anxiously, she asked, "Did Kisshu come?!"

The dance teacher's face fell and told her, "I'm sorry, I haven't seen him. But don't worry! Luckily, I have a substitute!"

'_How could you have substitute when all I saw was that me and Kisshu were practicing the dance?'_

Ichigo walked out of the dressing room and went straight for the stage. When she walked on, it was already dark but the glow in the dark tape helped her find her spot. She stood on the little X and she had on a sad face. Kisshu's not here and she has to dance with a stranger. Her only concern for the moment is that they could create the same effect Kisshu and her could create. The curtains raised and it was still dark on stage. Ichigo prepared herself and hoped for the best.

_El Tango De Roxanne_

_From the movie __**Moulin Rouge**_

_Let's have a dance!_

It's the movie CD so there were some lines from the movie. She took deep breathes and tried not to think about it.

_That tells the story_

_Of a prostitute_

At the mention of the prostitute, the lights shine on Ichigo and she got into her pose. Her arms were on her ribs but they smoothed down to her waist. Her partner should appear right next to her.

_And a man who falls in love_

_With her_

The lights came on to reveal her partner and when she looked, it was Kisshu. The other angels, Ryou, and Keiichiro in the audience became nervous and wide eyed seeing him on stage. Still surprised, Ichigo almost forgot to dance but since he was supposed to dance with her, he helped. His hand went to hers and his other went around her waist. When he was close enough, he flashed her a quick smile. That smile made Ichigo want to cry as she started dancing with him. His face was really close to hers but they didn't kiss. Her hand went to one side of his face and then traced down to his arm.

"Kisshu's here!" Zakuro noted.

Being nervous, Mint said, "We have to get him before he hurts her!"

"Wait!" Ryou told them. The angels and Keiichiro looked at him weird. He said, "He can't do anything on stage. Once the dance is over, we'll go in, alright?" Not wanting too, they nodded and sat back down to watch the show.

He was wise about what he said. Kisshu didn't do anything to Ichigo yet and there was a very poor chance that he would try to do anything with hundreds of people watching. Because of their talk, they missed most of the lines. It went straight to the song.

_Yes, jealousy!  
Will drive you,  
Will drive you,  
Will drive you,  
MAD!_

Roxanne,  
You don't have to put  
On that red light.  
Walk the streets for money,  
You don't care if  
It's wrong or if it is right.  
Roxanne,  
You don't have to wear  
That dress tonight.  
Roxanne,  
You don't have to sell your  
Body to the night.

When it got to the second voice's solo, what surprised not only the audience but Ichigo as well is that Kisshu started singing that part _(his solo is the italic and bold part)_.__

_**His eyes upon your face,  
His hand upon your hand,  
His lips caress your skin,  
It's more than I can stand!**___

Roxanne

_**Why does my heart cry?**___

Roxanne

_**Feelings I can't fight,  
You're free to leave me,  
But just don't deceive me  
And please,  
Believe me when I say,  
I love you.**__  
_

Ichigo continued to look surprised by how Kisshu sang those. It almost felt like he was singing them to her. The words he sang were meant for her.

There was an intermission of music after that. Kisshu gently touched her face with his fingers and it lightly ticked her. She dare not smile. The shock of him singing paralyzed her. When his hand was behind her head, he leaned towards her. Not to her lips, but to her neck. He gently kissed it and it made Ichigo move. She shut her eyes and a bit of red colored her face. She placed her hands on his shoulders and she pushed him back to make him stop. He had on a sad expression and then leaned on her forehead. She still pushed him away and tried to walk away too. He grabbed her wrist and then pulled her towards him while spinning. They started dancing again when the singing started again.

_  
Roxanne_

_**Why does my heart cry?**___

You don't have to  
Put on that red light.

_**Feelings I can't fight.**__  
_

_You don't have to wear  
That dress tonight.  
Roxanne,_

_**Why does my heart cry?**___

You don't have to put on  
That red light.  


_**Feelings I can't fight,  
You're free to leave me,  
But just don't deceive me  
And please,  
Believe me when I say,  
I love you.**__  
_

He held her in his arms and she looked up in him in a hint of anger. But when she saw his face, her shock appeared in both her face and her heart. With his hand behind her head, he pushed her closer to his face and he pressed his lips on hers. She closed her eyes from the force of his kiss. He looked calm as he deepened the kiss as Ichigo looked like she needed help or something.

His kiss seemed to be so much different than the ones he usually gives her. Usually, they were safe and free giving. But this one was more forceful and it started to scare Ichigo, much to her happiness that he's here. It was very similar to the one they had the park before she pushed him away.

When the violin was heard, he slowly broke the kiss and Ichigo had that scared expression and he looked angry. He grabbed her wrists and turned her around. He let go and because of the force, she fell to the ground. Just like the dance but it was too real to be just the dance. The audience was captivated by it as the angels knew that this was too real. On time, Ichigo stood up and looked like she was pleading Kisshu. She leaned on his chest and he held her. Then he took her hands and they started dancing again, but Kisshu looked more forceful.__

Roxanne

_**Why does my heart cry?**___

You don't have to  
Put on that red light.

_**Feelings I can't fight.**__  
_

_You don't have to wear  
That dress tonight.  
Roxanne,_

_**Why does my heart cry?**___

You don't have to put on  
That red light.

_**Feelings I can't fight**___

You don't have to wear  
That dress tonight  
Roxanne  
Roxanne  
Roxanne

_**Roxxxxannnnnnee!**_

At the end of the song, Kisshu had to look like he slit Ichigo's throat for being a prostitute and has been sleeping with other men. After he made it look like that, Ichigo collapsed to the floor, looking like she was dead. The dance had so much power and feeling in it that the audience stood up and clapped. It only made it harder for the angels, Ryou, and Keiichiro to come out. They were practically too shock to move anyway, until the curtains fell.

When the curtains covered the stage and Ichigo and Kisshu weren't in front of public eyes anymore, Kisshu walked away without offering Ichigo a way up. That surprised her. Every practice, he always helped her up; even when he was acting weird yesterday. What changed his mind all of a sudden?

"Kisshu?" she called, half way up. He didn't stop. He just kept on walking. "Kisshu! Wait up!" she called again, getting up. She rushed after him, but there was so much going on that it was hard finding him. She looked left and right but there was no sign of her green haired prince.

"Ichigo!"

She turned around at the sound of her name and she saw her friends running towards her. She asked, "Everyone! I can't find Kisshu anywhere! We need to find him before Pai and Taruto do!" Everyone could tell that she was worried sick about him and she looks like that if she doesn't find him, she could actually suffocate.

Ryou told her, "Ichigo! Breathe! I know that this isn't something you want to hear but didn't you notice the way he was dancing. I'm sorry but what if he's-"

"No!" she yelled. "There is no way that he gave in! He's stronger than that!"

"AHHHH!!!!"

Because of the sound of the scream, everyone turned around to see. A big open circle formed at one particular area and soon, a lot of the people were screaming or fainting. The angels pushed and shoved to see what they saw. When they reached it, they saw a good view of a dead body with six puncture wounds on his body; two on his neck, two on his upper arm, and two on his opposite hand. But it wasn't just that. In his chest, he has a hole where his heart should be. In fact, it looks like he doesn't have a heart anymore. He looked pale from lack of blood and he looked drained of it too. Ichigo and Mint gasped at the scene, Lettuce and Pudding looked terrified, and Ryou, Keiichiro, and Zakuro only grunted in anger.

Then after that, a big gust of wind just blew in the theater from the sudden opened door. Everyone covered their face to protect themselves but Ichigo looked towards the door. She saw Kisshu walk right outside through the door.

"Kisshu!" she yelled, running towards the door.

Mint yelled, "Ichigo! Wait!" She didn't listen. Consider that she's running in heels, she's still pretty fast. She ran outside and looked all over the dark alley for him. There was still no sign of him.

"Ichigo-san!" Lettuce called, getting out. The others fallowed after her and when the last angel came out, the door immediately close. This is both freaky and scary.

"So the angels are finally out, uh?" That sounded a lot like Kisshu.

Ichigo called, "Kisshu? Where are you?"

"Up here."

However before they looked up, something dropped from the sky and landed right at Ichigo's feet. She stepped back to get a better look and it was a half eaten heart. She tried to breath but it felt more like a horror film right about now.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" She looked up and she saw Kisshu sitting on top of a three story building. He jumped off and landed gracefully on the ground. Before he looked at her, he asked, "Don't have a strong stomach?" He looked up and everyone clearly saw the blood all around his mouth and some of it dripping down from the corner of it.

"Kisshu…You…" Mint started, terrified. "You ate that kid?"

He answered, gladly, "No. I shared with my brothers. He was actually pretty good." Hearing him say brothers made Lettuce and Pudding look up. There they both saw Sardon and Tart watching them.

Ichigo asked, "Why, Kisshu? This isn't like you at all. Why did you kill him? He didn't deserve to die."

"Wrong, kitty," he told her. "All humans deserve to die. No matter where you go, you see humans hurting, betraying, and hating one another. It never ends and neither does the hatred. When this whole world is destroyed, the only thing left will be hatred; hatred for those that destroyed the world and ended their lives."

Ichigo took step back and asked, "Why are you acting like this?"

Zakuro said, "He's an agent. That's why."

Kisshu smirked and raised his left hand to his right side neck. He moved his hair to reveal to them not only the black mark of an agent but also the black satin ring on his ring finger. Ichigo remembered that ring as if she just saw it yesterday.

'_It's not mine so might as well get rid of it! What if some sicko put that on me?'_

Kisshu told them, "I'm an agent alright and I only serve the devil prince, Deep Blue." He made his ring touched his mark and it glowed black. A black aura appeared and formed around his body, creating a cocoon. When it broke, what stood in his place is his agent form; Kish. However the only difference between the way that Kish looked from before was that now he has Kisshu's eye color instead of blood red; golden amber. "Please to meet you. My name is Kish."

Ichigo could feel her own heart breaking as she shook her head. "No! I don't believe it!" she yelled.

Kish didn't lose his smirk as Ryou grabbed her arm. He lost his smirk that time and he growled, revealing his fangs in the process. Mint saw that and she was deeply surprised to see that reaction. Ryou told Ichigo, "Ichigo! Stop this!"

She pulled her arm away and that made Kish confused. She yelled, "No! I refuse!" She looked at Kish and she had tears starting to form at her eyes. He was prepared to see tears but not like this.

He didn't let it bother as he asked, "So I guess you don't mind if I told you about the many other people that I killed." She was silent as he confessed, "The one who killed your parents that day was…me. I sliced them both apart and I enjoyed their pitiful faces when they were saying their final goodbyes." Ichigo's heart just stopped and her pupils shrink in her eyes. Mint was just as surprised while everyone else was just mild surprised.

Angrily, Zakuro asked, "You were the one who killed them? You took Ichigo's family away from her?"

He answered, "Well not only them. Five years ago, after I met Ichigo, I killed someone else too. It was so pitiful since he was trying so hard to reach her." Ichigo was too afraid to hear but his words didn't stop. "I killed this boy who was desperately crying for her. I think you know him, after all you were the one who promised to marry him when you both were older." That did it. She just cracked as uncontrolled tears escaped from her eyes.

"No…no…no! You…You killed Dren-kun?" she asked.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Yep." That one answer made Ichigo's legs very weak. She collapsed to the floor and her eyes looked dead as her whole body was just shaking.

Mint yelled, "Kisshu! Stop this nonsense, now! Please! Don't you see that every word that you say only breaks her heart more and more?"

He asked in a dead voice, "Why should I care? It's her fault anyway. An agent and an angel shouldn't have a relationship of any kind. They always get hurt in the end." His right hand looked like he was holding a black ball and he tossed it at the other angles besides Ichigo. It circled around them and they were trapped for about thirty seconds.

Kish walked over towards Ichigo and then kneeled down to her level. He used his pale hand to lift up her face towards him from under her chin and he kissed her. Her eyes gained back life as Kish continued to press his cold lips against her. The thing about this kiss that she could tell was that the kiss felt like a lot like the ones Kisshu used to give.

He parted and quickly said, "No matter how much it hurts to not even be this close. Why, Ichigo?" She was confused by that as he quickly jumped up to the top of the building right when the blast that circled around the other angels vanished. The four angels had their golden blotches out but they didn't transform. They were probably going too but the blast disappeared before they could.

Kish asked, "Brothers, can we give them a little departing gift before we go? I think an ear-bleeding song will just be perfect."

Tart summoned his drum sticks as Sardon summoned his bass guitar. Sardon answered, "Fine, but nothing too powerful. We need our energy to get more humans."

Kish summoned his black guitar and answered, "Fine, but how about a song that gives out a good meaning to these pesky angels?" Sardon started and then came Tart. Kish came last when he started to sing but even before that, the six angels were having head problems.

_Me Against the World__ by Simple Plan_

_We're not gonna be  
Just apart of their game  
We're not gonna be  
Just the victims  
They're taking our dreams  
And they tear them apart  
'til everyone's the same  
I've got no place to go  
I've got no where to run  
They love to watch me fall  
They think they know it all  
_

_**Sardon, Tart, and Kish**_

_  
I'm a nightmare, a disaster  
That's what they always said  
I'm a lost cause, not a hero  
But I'll make it on my own  
I've gotta prove them wrong  
Me against the world  
It's me against the world_

_**Kish**_

_We won't let them change  
How we feel in our hearts  
We're not gonna let them control us  
We won't let them shove  
All their thoughts in our heads  
And we'll never be like them_

I've got no place to go  
I've got no where to run  
They love to watch me fall  
They think they know it all

_**Sardon, Tart, and Kish**___

I'm a nightmare, a disaster  
That's what they always said  
I'm a lost cause, not a hero  
But I'll make it on my own  
I'm gonna prove them wrong  
It's me against the world  
Me against the world

_**Kish**___

Now I'm sick of this waiting  
So come on and take your shot  
You can spit all your insults  
But nothing you say is gonna change us  
You can sit there and judge me  
Say what you want to  
We'll never let you in

_**Sardon, Tart, and Kish**___

I'm a nightmare, a disaster  
That's what they always said  
I'm a lost cause, not a hero  
But I'll make it on my own  
Me against the world

I'm a nightmare, a disaster  
That's what they always said  
I'm a lost cause, not a hero  
But I'll make it on my own  
I've got to prove them wrong  
They'll never bring us down

We'll never fall in line  
I'll make it on my own  
Me against the world

At the end of the song, nearly everyone was lying on the floor in pain. They tried desperately to gain back their senses as Ichigo only continued to stare at them in shock. Only one thought raced through her mind: _'This can't be…'_

Both Kish and Tart smirked in delight as Sardon only stared at the fallen angels. Tart cheered, "We did it! We finally brought them to their knees! What took you so long to wake up anyway, nii-san?"

Kish answered, "Oh, let's just say that a little heartbreak and a bit of advice from the devil prince helped a lot."

"I told you so," Sardon told him. The angels looked at him and listened as he said, "All the angels do is give you heartbreaks." Lettuce, Pudding, and Ichigo were surprised and shocked to hear that. But what shocked them the most wasn't his words, but the expressions that all three had after he said that.

Kish smirked and made his guitar disappear as he said, "Oh well. Shall we go? I'm hungry."

Sardon made his bass guitar disappear and mumbled, "It was bad enough that Tart complained about not getting enough blood and now I have to do with you." Tart looked insulted by that as his drumsticks disappeared.

"Hey, I'm not that bad," Kish told him. He looked back at the angels and said, "Sorry but we have reservations for dinner tonight and we defiantly don't want to miss that. Guess it's time to say goodbye." He looked at Ichigo and she looked at him. He lost his smirk and told her, "Good bye, Ichigo. Next time, I will take your blood." All three turned around and flew away from them. Ichigo got really scared really fast.

"Kisshu!!! Come back!!!" she cried. He looked like he didn't hear her because he kept on flying. She didn't give up. She quickly took off her heels and then started running after him. She got out of the alley and ran down the street.

"Ichigo!" her friends called, but she didn't stop. She just kept running and running with only thoughts of Kisshu. Then like a klutz, she tripped in the middle of the streets. Her eyes were pouring out tears as she sat up and watch Kish flying away from her.

She screamed out, "I don't care if you are an agent or that you killed my love ones!!! JUST PLEASE STAY WITH ME!!!!!! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE!!!!! KISSHU!!!!!" Then she thought, _'It's because I love you so please…don't…leave…me.'_ Then she broke down crying. Kish heard her but he still didn't slow down.

Both Sardon and Tart looked at Kish from the corner of their eyes and they could see that he looked perfectly fine. He seemed to be only focused on looking for a new victim for dinner. They weren't fooled since they both had to go through with it. They knew that deep down, his heart was crying out for Ichigo.


	15. Finally Information!

**A/N: Hi, everyone! I told you that I would be finish with this soon. I have another thing to say, apparently Inuyasha wants me to talk to Kuro for a bit. Like a little bit of a vacation so Inuyasha is going to take over when he can. I gave him the outline for the other chapters and all he needs to do is write like how I write.**

**Also, I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all for the lovely reviews and please keep them coming. Thank you and please enjoy!**

_When your heart is broken into so many pieces, will you listen to something extremely important but doesn't concern with the one you care about most? Except that he's your enemy?_

Ch. 15: Finally Information!

"Hey, has anyone heard of Kisshu lately? He hasn't been at school for a week now."

"Don't tell me that you care about that jerk?"

"Well to tell you the truth, he looked really hot but when I heard that he's in a gang, I was scared stiff!I guess old feelings still last."

"Hey! You want to know what I heard? I heard that Kisshu got into a really big gang fight and was seriously hurt. But the thing is that no hospital has him in it's wing."

"You don't think he's dead, do you?"

"Probably. He either died of a fight, or maybe he died from that serial killer that kept killing everyone!"

"I heard that last week, the serial killer showed up after the dance. Blood drained and everything. My parents are telling me that I can't even go outside the house after dark anymore."

"I know that should sucks but I most certainly don't want to get killed. Two students already have been killed."

"Well that is if you count Kisshu-"

"He's not dead!!" Ichigo yelled, sitting up from her desk. The girls nearby looked at her and she glared at them with deadly eyes. She told them, "He's not dead. He's only sick." Then she turned around and walked right out of the classroom, slamming the door in the process. She didn't bother to stop and listen considering that she already heard enough from those girls.

It's been week since that dance show. There was no real attack where the agents stayed in one place long enough for the angles to arrive. Every morning it's always the same news. Apparently the agents have killed about three a night and it's already been a week so the next three victims after tonight will make twenty-one victims. Ichigo hasn't been her cheery self and no can blame her. After what Kish told her, who could? Sure she was the one who told Lettuce and Pudding to control their feelings but to the person who said that, it's easier said than done. But despite her broken heart, she still wore the same collar that Kisshu gave her the night they had their first kiss. Every time she touched the bell and it made its chime, tears would start leaking out sadness not even god thought would exist. Just looking at her makes Lettuce and Pudding want to cry their hearts out for their agents, too. Neither of them wanted to go back to their house or even to school. Ryou made arrangements to Lettuce's parents that she has a business trip and won't be home for a few days. It was really confusing to the parents but apparently Ryou's 'brilliant mind' solved that problem. Ryou also told the schools about them being sick and they already have the parent's permission. Ichigo finally went back to school and the first thing she hears are rumors.

When Ichigo went deeper into the hallway, she was going to turn at one corner but she heard voices.

"Isn't this great?" one of them asked.

Ichigo stopped walking and stood behind the wall to listen. She looked out and she saw the same boys from before, even Masaya was with them. No surprise since he is the leader of the so called 'group.'

"Now that he's out of the picture, we can finally take over."

"Yeah, it was because of that 'gangster' that we couldn't do what we want."

"Now Masaya can be the king of the school."

"You guys are too noble," he told them. Now that she knows what he's really like, hearing him made Ichigo sick to her stomach.

'_What are these idiots talking about?'_ she wondered, still listening in.

"Man, if that gangster didn't always interfere with us, we could be rulers of this school. Right now, all the girls think of us are just smart guys."

"That gangster would just threaten us and with a reputation like his, who would go up against him?"

Masaya told them, "He wasn't protecting the girls you know. He was only protecting that girl, Ichigo." She listen more into the conversation now.

"Oh yeah! Wasn't he like desperately in love with her but she kept refusing him. I will give her credit though, she has guts to turn him down."

"Like he could harm a girl! Especially the one he loves most."

"Weren't those two dating for about a week before he disappeared?"

"Hey! Wasn't she gone for a few days too? Maybe those two went deeper into their relationship than what I expected."

"Nah," Masaya told them. "She's not the kind of person who would give in like that. She's smarter than that. She's smart enough to not do it with weak, stupid, son of a bitch like him."

_Pow_

All eyes were surprised to see this. Ichigo rushed up to Masaya and the first thing she did was punch him straight in the jaws. Masaya took a few steps back to look up to see a very, very pissed off Ichigo. She looked a lot like Kisshu a week ago.

"Hey! You can't do th-"

Before he could say anything, Ichigo punched him and then landed on her hands. She kicked the other remaining guys and some of them went for the wall. Thos that were still standing, got a kick in the chin when Ichigo came back up. She turned around to Masaya and then punched him again. However this time, she punched him again from under to keep him standing. She grabbed his collar and then pulled him towards her. She looked over him with eyes full of hatred and anger.

"If you ever utter another word like that about him, I will immediately call the morgue to pick you up, you fuckin bastard of a bitch!" she threatened. She let go of him but did a back flip and her foot his face as he went flying to five feet away from her. She also told him when she was standing up straight, "Don't even think I'll back off on that because after what happened I could be expelled."

"Yes, you are."

Ichigo looked behind her and she saw ******Mr. Takaharu **there and he saw the students on the ground as well as what he did to Masaya.

He said, "Momomiya-san, come to my office." Not scared, she turned around and walked towards him. He fallowed right behind her when she passed him.

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"Because of her barbaric act, I have no choice but to suspend her for a month," the ******Mr. Takaharu** told both Keiichiro and Ryou. Ichigo was there too but she looked like she could care less now. She was leaning on her hand and she looked more interested in the wall then ******Mr. Takaharu's conclusion.**

******Keiichiro said, "I see. I am truly sorry for what Ichigo-san did. I'm sure that she didn't mean it."**

**'__****Sure as hell I didn't mean it. Those bastards deserved every bit of it. I hope they get black and blue faces for two months!'******** Ichigo thought, annoyed.**

******Mr. Takaharu said, "She can go to class to pick up her stuff but she can return home with you now. Let's hope that a month is enough for her to rethink of the things she's done."**

******Ichigo softly mumbled, "Like that will happen."**

******He asked, "Uh?"**

******Instantly, Ryou got up and said, "It appears that we have an agreement. A month and she can come back. I hope that the boys will be fine." Then all three left the room before Ichigo could explode. She brushed his hand off her arm and then crossed her arms. Ryou let out a sigh and said, "Just go and get your stuff. We'll be outside." Then both Ryou and Keiichiro went the other way so that Ichigo could go and get her stuff.**

******When she arrived in the classroom, all eyes were on her. She ignored the stares and went to go pick up her stuff. On the way, she heard everyone gossiping about her and her fighting the 'cutest, smartest boys in history.' Just listening to those words made Ichigo want to gag but what made her upset was that they started to assume that Kisshu made her join the gang and now she's a gangster too. That really pissed her off but she held onto it long enough to get out of the classroom before punching out another victim of her fury.**

******She walked towards the outside of her school and into the car. Keiichiro was driving while Ryou was sitting next to her in the back. There was a long silence on half of the way there. Then Ryou decided to break the silence. He let out another tired sigh and told her, "For your punishment, your payment will be cut in half and you have to do all of the cleaning for the time you're suspended."**

******Ichigo looked like she didn't care. She only rolled her eyes and said, "Fun." That made him let out another sigh.**

******He asked, "Why did you beat them up? Was it because they said something bad about you?"**

******She answered, "No. If they talk bad about me, then Kisshu would beat the crap out of me instead of me. Last time something like that happened, I was crying and Kisshu stood up for me."**

******Keiichiro concluded, "So then the reason you beat them up was because…"**

******Ichigo knows that he wouldn't finish it so she did. "They were talking about Kisshu behind his backs and I really made them have it."**

******Ryou asked, "You let them have it because you were standing up for the enemy?" That made her angry.**

******She looked up at him and glared as she yelled, "He's not the enemy! He's just…" Her furry stopped as she remember almost exactly what Kish told her before he left.**

"_Good bye, Ichigo. Next time, I will take your blood."_

Tears started to form as she remembered those words exactly. She wrapped her arms around herself and brought her legs up closer to her chest. She mumbled, "He's just…He's just…" But she couldn't finish. Tears were released and her voice was clogged with the icy depths of her sadness.

Since she can't talk, both Ryou and Keiichiro dropped the subject. However, Keiichiro looked at the reviewed mirror and Ryou looked up at his gaze. He let out a softer sigh and nodded. Keiichiro nodded as well and then took a turn at the next corner.

Ichigo cried the drive. When they finally reached the café, she wiped away her tears as best as she could and then got out with her bags and everything. She just walked straight into the café and up the stairs. When she opened the door, both Lettuce and Pudding were there and they were both surprised to see her.

Lettuce noticed her messed up face as Ichigo dropped her bags at the closed door and walked to the bed. She only stood in front of it and then collapse on her knees to sob on the mattress. Neither Lettuce nor Pudding said a word as they lightly patted her head or rubbed her back in comfort. They lightly leaned on her and started to feel the depths of sadness fill up their shell. It was hard not to cry because one of them had to be strong.

Ichigo stopped crying for a bit to talk but her voice sounded cracked and whinny. She still talked. "Why?" she asked. "Why did he do this? Why did he betray me? Did I do something wrong? Anything at all? I would do anything for him so why did he…?" She didn't want to finish what she was going to say because what she said just now was good enough.

Lettuce only answered, thinking of her lost friend, "I don't know…I don't….know…" Then she couldn't hold back anymore. Her tears escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks to escape.

Then Pudding couldn't hold it anymore. She allowed tears to fall as she said, "I want Taru-Taru. I want to see him…so badly, na no da. More than anything, I want to tell him that….that…." Her tears clogged up her voice and she said no more. The only thing that was heard was the sound of tears and the sound of cries for their lost ones.

Both Ryou and Keiichiro could hear them from the café. Keiichiro noted, "If they keep it up, the agents will take advantage of their sadness."

Ryou said, "They could but something bugs me."

"What is that, my prince?"

"If the agents really truly wanted to take their blood then why not attack during the day when they're defenseless or now since their guards has weakened?"

"Maybe it's because even feelings of love are even hard for even them to destroy."

"There's that or they could be planning something. Don't open the café today. We're going to have a little meeting and it will start when Mint and Zakuro get here."

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"Kish! Sardon! Tart!" Deep Blue called, sitting on his chair with his back to three appearing black lights. On the shape of air currents, shape of leaves, and mist appeared and then disappeared to reveal all three agents.

"Yes, Deep Blue-sama," they greeted. Kish had a smirk on his face, Sardon looked serious, and Tart looked like he was ready for anything.

Deep Blue asked, "Did you three enjoy your feast?" Just by listening to his voice, you can tell that he must be smiling with pleasure.

Kish answered, "As always, my lord. We even found two very interesting souls."

"Do we have enough souls?"

"We only need three hundred and thirty two more souls, my lord," Sardon answered.

Deep Blue told them, "I'm disappointed boys. I expected you to gather more souls now that you three are together."

Kish stood up and told him, "Please my lord, understand that we eat no more than our fill. With the way those angels are, they won't interfere with our meals. We'll have five hundred souls in only a month. We have a plan that will kill hundreds of humans in a single night. Who knows? Maybe it can kill all of them in Japan."

Deep Blue spoke again with a hint of curiosity in his voice as he asked, "A plan? What sort of plan?"

"A plan that can entertain you while you watch from your crystal ball."

Deep Blue smirked with delight as he ordered, "Sardon! Tart! You may leave now. I want a little talk with Kish."

"As you wish, my lord," they answered. The dark air currents wrapped around Sardon and the dark leaves flew in the air around Tart. When it was done, they were gone.

Kish asked, "Is there something troubling you, my lord?" Deep Blue stood up from his chair and walked towards Kish in a calm, casual walk.

He stopped in front of him and then moved some hair away from Kish's face to get a better look. Kish stayed calm in his presence as Deep Blue even leaned closer towards his face.

"You miss her, don't you?"

That one question destroyed Kish's calmness. His eyes widen and he looked the other way. "Of course not!" he said. "She betrayed me so why should I care about that wench?"

Deep Blue placed his hands on his shoulders and leaned from behind. He whispered in Kish's ear, "I think it's because feelings are hard to kill. I think that the reason why you reacted like how you did is because you do miss her but you don't want to admit it. It's okay I understand exactly how that feels."

Kish turned his head slightly towards him and asked, "You do?" Deep Blue walked in front of Kish and grabbed his face to make him look up towards him.

"Do you want to hear my story?" he asked. The just staring at his eyes made Kish a little dizzy. But he nodded as his eyes turned glossy and it was already half way closed. Deep Blue leaned closer and closed his eyes. Then he pressed his lips against Kish's and then said, "Then let me tell you the story of how I became the ruler of hell."

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"Everyone, it's about time I explain a few things to you," Ryou announced.

All of the angels are underneath the café in the basement and only three out of the five mew mews have puffy eyes and depress expressions. Mint was sad for her friend's sake but Zakuro was completely focused on the meeting at hand.

"Ichigo!" Ryou called. Ichigo looked up at him and he asked, "Have you ever wondered why you seem to be unaffected by the agents' touch or even their music?" Slowly she shook and that was a good enough answer from a dumped girlfriend. "What about the times when the other Mew Mews were singing and dancing but you were the only one who doesn't do that?"

She looked at the floor and tried to think, but Mint asked, "What does that mean? Why is she different?"

"That we don't know," Ryou answered. "Mint! You sing opera and you dance ballet, Zakuro sings pop music or today's music and she dances today's dances too, Lettuce sings Latin or Spanish music as well as dancing the salsa, and Pudding sings and dances to music that has a hint of Chinese. Those kinds of music are considered your soul music. Having a soul music is what makes you powerful. Without a soul music then that means that you haven't find your true strength. Ichigo, you're already powerful without it but you need to find your soul music in order to defeat the devil. They already found their music and when they play together, we might as well fill out our funeral forms."

Lettuce asked, "What is your soul music?"

Ryou answered, "Both Keiichiro and myself share the same soul music; classical." If they weren't so depressed, both Ichigo and Pudding would probably be laughing. "What we also noticed is that everyone here except one cannot touch an agent without feeling the electronic repellence. Ichigo, every time you touch an agent, you don't feel the repellence like us. The only time something like that happened was when you saved Keiichiro and I."

Keiichiro concluded, "It was would seem that the only way for you to feel what we feel when we touch them is when he wants to kill and you want to save. An agent's purpose is to kill as an angel's purpose is to watch over and protect."

That made sense. When Ichigo touched Kish that one time, she wanted him to stop playing because she noticed that his music was killing them. Then he added, "And that's not all. All five of you are infused with DNA's of different endangered animals. Mint is infused with the DNA of a Tahiti Blue Lory, Lettuce has the DNA of a Finless Porpoise, Pudding has the DNA of a Golden Lion Tamarin, Zakuro has the DNA of a Grey Wolf, and finally Ichigo has the DNA of an Iriomote Cat. Animals that are endangered have a feeling of protecting their kind from extermination. Having those genes, I guess you can say is having a big bonus on protecting human kind from going extinct itself."

Ryou took over and said, "You're destiny is to protect humans and to purify the agents." That made Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding tensed up at that. Mint could almost feel their tension.

She asked, "When you mean purify them, do you mean…" She gulped before she could finish. "…kill them?" All three of them looked up at Ryou hoping that he would say 'no.'

But he said, "I don't know. This is the first time the devil used _humans_ to become agents."

"What do you mean?" Zakuro asked.

"He means that when the devil attacked heaven, he used to use angels to become his agents. He used to have hundreds of them. I'm sure you heard of them. Do you remember the story of Lucifer?"

Zakuro answered, "He was the first fallen angel to be banned from heaven along with half of the angels who turned against god."

Ryou explained, "Lucifer was also the first one to become an agent. From what I observed when the war was going on was that every time my mother's holy powers touched an agent, they turned white and then disappeared. For an agent who was once an angel once they are purified, they disappear. We don't know about humans because humans can be either good or bad."

"But humans can also be forgiven," Zakuro said. Then Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding paid attention with a form of new hope in their eyes.

"That is true but in order for a human to be forgiven, they have to want to be forgiven with the feeling of contrition. The agents choose the path of an agent so once they make their choice, that's the path they will continued to fallow until their own deaths," Ryou answered.

Keiichiro said, "I heard that if an agent just dies, not by purification, they are bound to wander the borderland between the living and death for all eternity."

Pudding shook her head and said, "No, na no da! That can't be right, na no da! Please say that there is another way, na no da!"

"I'm sorry, Pudding," Ryou told her. "But maybe there is no hope to save them after all." That did it. Ichigo just stood up and then punched him straight on. All eyes were on her and they were big. When Ryou looked up at her, she had angry tears falling down her face.

"How can you just say that so calmly?! This is serious, Ryou! They were people who we trusted! People we cared about and people who we were very close to! Then you can just tell us that we can't save them? You are the laziest, obnoxious, biggest jackass I have ever met! I hate you and I wish that the devil drink the blood right out of you! I had enough of this shit and I don't want to be a part of it!" She went to her pocket and then just threw her golden blotch at his feet. Then she just turned around and ran.

"Ichigo-san!" Lettuce called, fallowing her. Pudding, Mint, and Zakuro fallowed her as Ryou and Keiichiro stayed behind.

Ryou rubbed his red swollen cheek and mumbled, "I said 'maybe,' not 'there is.' She didn't have to hit so hard."

Keiichiro said, "Unfortunately, I agree with what she said. What you just said was a little too far."

"It's only too far when she's depressed. She has to learn that she can't keep crying. Crying does nothing but get in the way."


	16. Think of Me

**A/N: Inuyasha: Hello everyone. Thank you for the reviews and I'm afraid to say that Tsukiko is apparently not in a talkative attitude right now. She just came back and she's upset. So I am still here presenting you this chapter. Just to let you know, I am sorry that it's a little longer than what Tsukiko promised the chapters will be from now on but what can we do? We also like to let you know that it will be a little confusing in the end but please bear with us until the next chapter.**

**Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. Thank you and please enjoy. –bows down respectfully- **

_If someone you once cared about tells you that he will kill you, why is it that he still calls out for you when you're hurt?_

Ch. 16: Think of Me

"Ichigo! Open this door!" Mint called from the other side of Ichigo's room.

Ichigo still sat on her bed and yelled, "Leave me alone, Mint!"

Lettuce called out, "Ichigo-san, please! We know that what Ryou sound said was out of line but-"

"Out of line?" Ichigo questioned, angrily. She got up and walked straight to the door. She unlocked it and looked directly at Lettuce with anger filled eyes. "What he said was more than out of line! It was unforgivable! He says that he's a heaven prince but the way I hear it, he could be lying and be the devil for all we know! What I also can't believe is that you're taking his side! They are people you know Lettuce! Don't you care at all about Pai?! He said that we can't save them and you're just trying to reason with me that what he said was out of line?"

"Would you listen to yourself?" Zakuro asked with a quiet hard voice. All eyes were on her as she said, "You're acting like a spoiled brat, Ichigo. We all understand that just hearing the one you care about most wanting to kill you is hard but that is no way to release your anger on us or Ryou. Most people who are told that start to feel hateful towards the one who told them, but you express that hatred towards others who had no part in what happened. The reason is because you don't want to hate Kish because you can't believe that he would say that to you. Love is like a bridge. It's strong and it can carry anything that crosses it but when the fiery flames of hatred burn it, it can only hold so little at a time. The only way for your bridge of love to be completely destroyed is when the fires get hotter and fiercer. The only way for those flames to be like that is when that person who set the bridge on fire adds more oil to it. Don't add the oil yourself, Ichigo. How do you think Lettuce and Pudding are handling this?"

Ichigo only stared at her with shocked eyes as everyone else was just surprised. Her words were like the truth written down on at the walls of prophecy. After a bit, Ichigo looked down at the ground and she looked like she was ready to cry. Rather she liked it or not, Zakuro is right.

She turned around and started walking towards her room as she said, "I'm sorry but I serious need to be left alone right now." She didn't give them time to answer. She closed the door before they could. Then she leaned on the door and collapsed to her knees. Her sobs were even heard from the other side of the door. Since there was no other reason, the others left to give her the privacy she needed.

Ten minutes later, Ichigo was still sobbing like how she was when she first started. Because of her crying, she didn't notice a little pink light that was shining in front of her like a small little star. When the glow disappear, R2000 appeared and called out, "Mew Ichigo! Mew Ichigo!" Hearing him, Ichigo looked up and she saw the little pinky puffy machine flying in front of her.

She wiped a tear away and said, "I remember you. You were the little robot that was told to protect Kisshu that one time."

The little guy said, "R2000 protect! R2000 protect." Ichigo let out a small smile after that.

"You're a little funny, little guy."

"Funny little guy! Funny little guy!"

Ichigo laughed some more at the little robot. She smiled and offered her hand to it. He flew towards her and Ichigo brought her close to her chest. She said, "You're cute you know. Why are you here?"

"Here to cheer up! R2000 belongs to Mew Ichigo!!" R2000 answered.

Ichigo looked confused as she asked, "But aren't you Ryou's? Don't you belong to him now?"

R2000 told her, "Was given to Mew Ichigo! Master Ryou told R200 that new master is now Mew Ichigo!"

Ichigo's eyes widen as she asked, "Ryou…gave you to me?"

"R2000 belongs to Mew Ichigo! R2000 belongs to Mew Ichigo!" Ichigo's eyes soften and narrowed hearing that. Then she remembered something.

"Aren't you also the little robot that was smash? Ahhh-" She was going to say more, but R2000 started beeping on her. He flew out of her hands and started flying around. She only stared surprised and then R2000 flew over to her and kissed her cheek. She asked, "What's that for?"

"Like name! Like name!" he responded.

"Name? But I didn't give you a name," she said.

"Mew Ichigo gave R2000 a name! Masha! R2000's new name is Masha!" Ichigo only stare at her in shock. Masha is only 'smash' and 'Ahhh' together but without the h's and the s.

Ichigo giggled and said, "You're a strange little robot, huh?" Some tears feel from her eyes when she said that and R2000, or Masha noticed.

He looked at her with sad eyes and asked, "Mew Ichigo sad?"

She shook her head and wiped some of her tears away. She told him, "It's just that you just brightened up my day a bit, Masha. I didn't really thought you would consider that a name though. I was just remembering that Ryou said that you were smashed when Kisshu…" She dared not finish what she was going to say. More tears escaped her eyes and she buried her face in her hands. Masha could only watch with sad eyes.

Then his eyes widen and he called out, "Agent alert! Agent Alert!" Instantly, Ichigo's head looked up and stared at the little robot.

"What did you say?" she asked.

He repeated, "Agent alert! Agent alert at Tokyo tower! Agent alert! Agent alert!"

'_Kisshu!'_

Immediately, Ichigo stood up and opened the door. She ran out of her room and down the hall way. She went through the café and some of the Mew Mews were there.

"Ichigo!" Mint called, realizing that the red thing that zoomed by was her friend. "What's wrong with her?"

Ryou came out with Keiichiro fallowing behind him and asked, "What's going on here?" Then Masha came down the steps and cried out the same thing he said before.

"Agent alert at Tokyo tower! Agent alert!"

All of the angels froze at that. Mint asked Ryou, "Is that true?"

Ryou answered, "R2000 was created with agent alerts and kirema anima alerts in his system. He can sense agents and kirema animas miles away. If he's going that crazy then…"

"That's why Ichigo-san ran out of here!" Lettuce got. She got off from the table and started running after Ichigo. Pudding fallowed right behind her. Mint, Zakuro, Ryou, and Keiichiro knew why they just ran out of here.

Zakuro said, "We need to fallow them."

"Right!"

Both Mint and Zakuro got up and ran too. They got out before Ryou could say anything to them. Meanwhile, Ichigo was just running a marathon. If what Masha said about the agents being at Tokyo Tower was true then she doesn't have to wander Tokyo. She knows where it is and it's pretty far. She still didn't care. She had to get there.

'_I need to see him!'_ she thought as her lungs burned for more oxygen. _'I don't care if he killed them. I just need to see him because I know that what he's telling me is a lie! He's not an agent and he's not willing to kill me! I know it!'_

Her legs pushed even harder and harder and it was killing her. People looked at her like she was crazy, with annoyed expressions, or with surprised expressions. She ignored their stares and kept going. Sweat was pouring down from the side of her face and her body was ready to give out but she kept going. Buildings, people, and animals passed her at the same speed she was running. Soon after buildings came trees. Shades of green, brown, and red were passing her way as she kept going. Then she saw the big red tower up ahead. As she got closer, she saw three black specks in the sky in front of the tower. Just from behind, she knew very well who they were and she knew which one was the one she was running for.

With her remaining breathe in her lungs, she screamed out, "KISSHU!!!" After she yelled that, she stopped right in front of the tower and leaned on her knees. She tried to accept as much air into her lungs as she can.

After she yelled, all three agents only looked over their shoulder to see her. Kish was the one who looked more annoyed than his brothers. "So the cat is the first to show. How annoying." Ichigo heard him and hearing those words hurt but she was trying harder on trying to breathe so that she can look up at him.

"Ichigo!!" Mint called when she was running up to catch up. When she saw Kish, she stopped at the look of his expression towards Ichigo. That wasn't the Kish or Kisshu that Mint used to know at all.

When Lettuce and Pudding stopped running, their chests were going up and down but their eyes were glued to Sardon and Tart. They were looking at them with a cold and hard expression too. Because they were trying to breath, they didn't call out to them but their minds did.

'_Pai-sensei!'_

'_Taru-Taru!'_

"And then the rest of them come," Sardon dryly said.

Kish smirked and then placed his hands together. They glowed black and a black blast started to form between them. He asked, "Then shall we get this party start?!" He aimed the blast straight for Ichigo and she saw the blast when she looked up. He fired and her eyes widen in surprise. Her legs were too weak to move so she just stood there, until…

"Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!"

There was big purple light from behind Ichigo and after the light, Mew Zakuro's whip appeared and stopped the blast.

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!!"

Purple met black and it stopped the blast before it hit Ichigo. She covered her eyes to block the light and she felt the sudden rush wind hit her body. When the wind stopped, Ichigo looked and there was dust in the air. Then Kish was flying straight towards Ichigo from the cloud of dust. He had a fist ready and Ichigo still froze there.

"Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!"

After the blue light, Ichigo was being forced away from Kish's attack. She looked up and Mew Mint had a hold of her before Kish's fist hit the ground. When Ichigo looked at her hand on Mint, it was glowing blue but that subjected faded away when Mint landed on the ground. She placed Ichigo down and they both turned towards Kish. From what they could see, his fist was half way in the ground. He pulled it out and looked at Ichigo with a death look.

"Lucky saved, uh Ichigo?" he asked her. Ichigo's knees were buckling together and her breath was cut short just by meeting his gaze.

Mint yelled, "Kisshu stop this! What's wrong with you?!"

He simply answered, "I'm just thirsty and Ichigo's the only angel I can touch."

"We're hungry too but…"

Everyone heard Tart's voice in the air but when they looked up. He wasn't there anymore. Then both Lettuce and Pudding felt a cold, dark presence behind them. They were too paralyzed to move when Sardon whispered in Lettuce's ear.

"We can't touch the ones we want to eat."

However, both Sardon and Tart placed their hand on Pudding's and Lettuce's shoulder. As soon as their cold hard skin met the girls', a sudden wave of electricity shocked Lettuce and Pudding.

"Aaaahhh!" they cried as they backed away from their touch.

They escaped the agent's touch and looked at their shoulder. There was hand burn mark on them and when they looked up at the agents, their hands were burned too but they didn't look like they were in pain.

"Looks like Ichigo is the only angel up for grabs," Kish said, getting their attention. He grinned and licked his lips. "Time for dinner."

Mint held her arms in front of Ichigo and told her, "What are you waiting for? Transform already!"

Ichigo said, "I would love too, but… I left the blotch at the café." Mint looked at her with a dumbstruck face and then slapped the top of her head.

"Idiot!!" she called her.

Then pale strong arms wrapped around Ichigo and Kish licked Ichigo's neck. "I'll take her if you don't mind," he said. Before Mint could react, Kish teleported away and reappeared again, closer to the tower with his fangs lightly smoothing on Ichigo's skin. Ichigo put her hands on his arms to get them off but they were too strong. Then she saw that her hands were glowing black now. What's going on?

"Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!"

A green and yellow light shined and that literally blinded Kish and the others nearby. Kish let go of Ichigo and backed away from the light as Sardon and Tart did the same. Ichigo turned around and she saw Kish backing away into the shadows.

"Kisshu!" she mumbled. He looked up at her with wide eyes of surprise when she called him.

"Ichigo!" Zakuro called. Ichigo looked towards Mew Zakuro and she instructed, "Go back to the cafe and stay there!! We'll handle things here!"

Ichigo shuttered, "B-B-But…"

'_You'll purify Kisshu.'_

Kish, getting the wrong idea, grew angry and created another black blast. "She's not going anywhere but the afterlife!" He unleashed it and Ichigo quickly turned around to see it coming. However, it landed at the ground she was standing. She went flying.

"Aaahh!"

"Ichigo-san!" Mew Lettuce called as her friend hit a tree and collapsed to her knees.

Mint looked from Ichigo to Kish and growled. "You're going to regret that!!" She summoned her bow and yelled, "Ribbon Mint Echo!!" She shot and arrow at him but he dodged it. Sardon started creating blasts himself and aimed them at Lettuce. She dodge them of course. Pudding had to handle Tart with his claws ready to slice her. Zakuro helped her for the most part but they were still getting away from his attacks.

Ichigo sat up and a wave of pain from her back rushed through her body immediately. She let out a moan and held her back in agonizing pain. Then Masha appeared in front of her like before and this time she noticed.

She looked up in surprise and let out, "Masha? What are you doing here?"

He said, "Here to deliver! Here to deliver!" He opened his mouth and a golden blotch came out. Ichigo caught it with her hands and examined it in disbelief.

"Did Ryou told you to give this to me?"

Being close, Kish heard her. He looked away from Mint and towards Ichigo and the little pink robot. When he heard Ryou, he just had to listen.

Masha answered, "Master Ryou told Masha!" Kish's eyes widen in anger as he saw Ichigo look at the blotch and then grasp it in her hands. She brought it to her chest and closed her eyes. That really upset him.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

Kish looked back at Mint just in time to see the pink arrow come towards him. He dodged it and then went straight for Ichigo. She noticed and looked up to see him.

"You're dead!" he yelled, claws at the ready.

Immediately, Ichigo called out, "Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!"

The sudden pink light blinded Kish and he retreated back to get away from the light. All fighting stopped to see Ichigo being consumed by the light. Kish leaned on the leg of the tower and covered his eyes from the pain of the light. At first, they thought it was their imagination but as it got louder, they realize that it wasn't. There was a sound of music in the air and when the light started to fade, it got louder. Ichigo stood up and faced Kish. Then to the angel's surprise, she started singing.

_What Have You Done?__ By Within Temptation_

_**Ichigo**_

_Would you mind if I hurt you?  
Understand that I need to  
Wish I had other choices  
Than to harm the one I love_

Then as if he knew that this was going to happen, Kish started to sing too.

_**Kish**_

_What have you done now?_

Then a black light shined under Kish and engulfed him as a bright pink light engulfed Ichigo. Pieces of the earth started to rise up because of the light and a sudden rush of wind hit the other angels and the agents. Masha was recording the whole thing and from the computers through Masha's view, Ryou and Keiichiro were surprised to see that too.

Ichigo summoned her Strawberry Bell in her hand and she charged at Kish. He grabbed it before it could hit him and then he pushed her back.

_**Kish**_

_I know I better stop trying  
You know that there's no denying  
I won't show mercy_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_On you now_

_I know I should stop believing  
I know there's no retrieving  
It's over now_

_**Ichigo**_

_What have you done?_

Ichigo only stood where she was pushed back and both her and Kish continued to sing with every depressing, pained feeling they have since what happened. Their friends and their brothers saw the expressions on their face and they were shock to see it.

_**Kish**_

_What have you done now?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_I, I've been waiting for someone like you  
But now you are slipping away_

_**Kish**_

_What have you done now?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_Why, why does fate make us suffer?  
There's a curse between us, between me and you_

_**Kish**_

_What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done now?_

_What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_  
What have you done now?_

_Would you mind if I killed you?  
Would you mind if I tried to?  
'Cause you have_

_Turned into my worst enemy  
You carry hate that I don't feel  
It's over now, what have you done?_

_**Kish**_

_What have you done now?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_I, I've been waiting for someone like you  
But now you are slipping away_

_**Kish**_

_What have you done now?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_Why, why does fate make us suffer?  
There's a curse between us, between me and you_

_**Kish**_

_What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done now?_

_What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_  
What have you done now?_

Then Ichigo started whispering the words as the music got a little softer.

_**Ichigo**_

_What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?_

_What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?  
What have you done?_

Then almost like Mint, she started singing soprano. Kish closed his eyes and listened to her voice as she was singing out as if it was her soul music. Surprisingly, the agents didn't react to Ichigo's voice as the angels didn't react to the music. It could be because both angel and agent were singing a song together that allowed it to be 'safe.'

Kish then did the unthinkable. He walked up to Ichigo and placed his hands on her face. When Ichigo was done with the soprano and before it went back to how it was before, she looked up at him and he stared at her with sad eyes. They leaned on each other's forehead and sang again.

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_I will not fall, won't let it go  
We will be free when it ends_

_I, I've been waiting for someone like you  
But now you are slipping away_

_**Kish**_

_What have you done now?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_  
Why, why does fate make us suffer?  
There's a curse between us, between me and you_

_I, I've been waiting for someone like you  
But now you are slipping away_

_**Kish**_

_What have you done now?_

_**Ichigo and Kish**_

_  
Why, why does fate make us suffer?  
There's a curse between us, between me and you_

When the song ended, the lights started to fade as the rocks fell down to the ground when gravity started to kick in. Ichigo placed her hands on Kish's that were still on each side of her face. He still leaned on her forehead and she closed her eyes in the small comfort they have. Everyone else, including the ones who were watching from a robot, were still surprised by what just happened. An agent just sang with an angel and an angel just sand a rock song. Something weird must be going on because that completely goes against what Ryou said about soul music.

Kish light stroked Ichigo's cheek and then asked, "Why Ichigo? Why did you do it?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She asked, "Do what? What did I do?"

His voice sounded a little angry as he answered, "Don't lie to me. Please Ichigo. Not now."

"How am I supposed to not lie when I don't even know what I did wrong?"

He let out a sigh of frustration and answered, "Your heart. It's your heart."

'_My heart? Does he mean that he got impatient that I didn't tell him that I love him? Does he believe that I'm still hung up about Dren? He told me that he knows it will take some time but the agent blood must have made him impatient!'_ Ichigo figured in her head.

She told him, "When you told me that Dren died, I will admit that I was devastated. But when I was young, I was told so many times that he was never coming back. That he's gone forever. I still didn't believe them but there was a part of me that did. So I decided that if I kept myself busy until he returns, I could ease that part of me. The reason why I didn't say 'yes' to you before was because you reminded me so much of him. But it'd different now. It's different because the one I lo-"

"Just shut up already!" he yelled, letting go of her face and taking a few steps back.

She slightly reached for her and called, "Kisshu?"

"Don't call me that, wench! It's 'Kish'! Get that through your thick skull!" Ichigo pulled her hand back and only stared at him as he smirked; his fangs baring at her. "Oh well," he said. "You'll all going to die anyway."

"What are you-" she was going to ask but something bothered her. Right before her eyes, she saw something glitter. She towards it and there was more; thousands more. Then the glitter started to look clearer to Ichigo. It looked almost purple and it looked like dust. She breathed it in and asked, "What is-" Before she could finish it, she started coughing. Then three more coughs fallowed right behind her.

"This poison is immune to us agents," Kish told her.

She looked up at him and thought, _'Poison?'_

As if she knew what she was thinking, Kish explained, "A new kirema anima that was specially made just for this. Look up."

They did and all five mew mews saw a giant yellow and red moth and it was by far more the ugliest moth or kirema anima they ever seen. It was still on the antenna of the tower but the wings were flapping in the air, allowed the purple dust to fall to the ground and allow the wind to pass it across the city.

Kish told them, "Tokyo will die! As the wind picks up, the poison will spread and more lives will be taken straight to hell!" Ichigo was paralyzed by that; outside and inside.

Zakuro used the small air she had to ask, "So all you've been doing is collecting souls instead of turning them into kirema animas?"

Tart put his hands behind his head and answered, "Not really. That kirema anima is made from at least twenty souls. That really cut our amount."

Sardon nodded his head and said, "Apparently."

Then something blue just shot from the ground and went straight for the top. The angels and the agents looked up to see Mint flying towards the top. Wait! She isn't coughing or even look like she's affected by the poison. She seems…immune to it.

"Damn it!" Kish cursed flying up. Sardon and Tart fallowed him right after he went up.

Lettuce coughed and then said, "We need to help Mint-san!" Ichigo nodded and got ready to sprint. She jumped and flew straight up. The others fallowed right after her. They have to stop the agents.

Lettuce summoned her tanets and aimed just above the agents. "Ribbon Lettuce Rush!!" The water slices went right in front of the agents and made them stop. They looked down and the angels went right pass them. They looked up again and all four angels stopped in front of them.

Sardon asked, "So that's how they want to play?" His cold hard stare was gazing right at Lettuce and she gulped from it.

Tart said, "We don't have time for this."

Kish agreed, "Indeed."

Then three black lights appear; one light for each agent. What appeared in those lights were their instruments; Kish's guitar, Tart's drum sticks, and Sardon's bass guitar. Then all three did the unexpected; they broke their instruments. Kish used on hand to slice his guitar in half and he grabbed the ends of the two pieces, Tart grabbed each stick and crushing them into two balls of wood, and Sardon sliced his bass in two but he destroyed the neck. The broken instruments glowed again and they transformed into something different: Kish's broken guitar turned into two Sais, Tart's wood balls turned into a click-clack toy, and Sardon's broken bass guitar turned into a fan.

Tart asked, "Who ever said that you five are the only ones who have weapons you can actually fight with?" At the same time, Tart made his click-clack toy clatter and they produced lightening. It was shot towards Pudding but she got out of the way.

Sardon swung his fan towards Lettuce's direction and called, "Fu Shi Sen!" A shot of lightening, similar to Tart's, went straight for her. She dodged it of course, but barely.

Then Kish crossed his Sais together and charged towards Ichigo. She dodged them and Kish passed right by her to get to Mint.

"Hold it!" Zakuro yelled, summoning her whip again. Ichigo saw her and got scared real fast. Kish's is practically an open target. "Ribbon Zakuro Spear!" She aimed her whip towards Kish and Ichigo flew right in front of him.

"Ichigo-san!" Lettuce called.

Kish stopped to turn around and when he did, Ichigo stopped right in front of him and grabbed his shirt. Then she felt the pain of Zakuro's whip hit her back. Her face crunched together in pain as she gripped his shirt. His eyes widen in surprise as Zakuro pulled her whip back; shocked to see Ichigo get in front of her whip. If angel attacks could purify demons then what would an attack do to an angel, especially after what Ryou said.

Hearing the commotion, Mint stopped when Kish did and she saw the whole thing with Ichigo taking the blow for Kish. "Ichigo!!" she yelled after Zakuro pulled her whip back. Even the agents were surprised to see her do that.

Ichigo let go of Kish's shirt and it lightly touched the side of Kish's face; shaking with pain and lightly touching his hard cold skin. She forced a smile and asked him, "You okay?" Then she just gave up. Her hand fell as well as her body. She was falling straight for the hard ground. When the angels were going to call for her, someone else beat them to the punch.

"ICHIGO!!" Kish called.

Ichigo was unconscious so she didn't hear him and she landed on the hard ground. There was some dirt and dust flying in the air but when it cleared, those who looked down saw that her body looked limped and she was dirtied from all of the dirt and dust. Kish covered his mouth of not only surprise of how she looked but also because he called for her.

Tart mumbled, "Kish…you…"

Mint blinked in surprise as she thought, _'Could it be that he still loves her?'_

Kish dropped his hand and shook his head. "Don't even get any strange thoughts, Tart!"

"Then what the hell was that?" he asked, angrily.

Kish's only answer was, "I hate that angel, Tart! How the hell am I supposed to know why I called for her?"

"It's because you still love her!" Everyone looked up at Mint as she continued. "I know you still do, Kisshu! How else can you explain that or explain the reason why you sang with her? I don't know what made you choose to fight her, but every day Ichigo is moaning for you! She got suspended from school just because some boys were back stabbing you at school. She still cares for you so why are you trying to kill her?!" Kish only stared at her wide eye as she looked like she was ready to cry.

Then the most unbelievable and unexpected thing happen, Mint's whole body started to glow. Her expression became blank as she looked at her arms and hands to see them glowing. Not knowing what's happening, they only watched. Then the blue light got brighter and brighter and Mint's expression relaxed. She closed her eyes and allowed the light to take over her. When she continued to glow, the agents and the angels covered their eyes from the light. When it faded, they looked up again to see Mint in a different outfit then before.

Instead of her Mew Mew outfit, she was wearing a beautiful white 1800's gown dress. It looked so beautiful and extremely white. The dress looked like it was literally sparkling in the light. Her sleeves were a little big so they limped down her shoulders, lightly touching her skin and baring her neck. Her white shoes are no longer dancing shoes but 1800's heels. Her hair was down and there were crystals in her hair that glistened in the light like her dress. Her collar, her gloves, and her arm bands were gone and her wings looked three times bigger than how they were before. Her halo above her head glowed a beautiful yellow and the glow around her body was still light blue. Her skin looked so beautiful and when she opened her eyes, they were the most beautiful color of light brown anyone ever seen. She didn't seem surprised by her new appearance. Instead she looked so gentle and soft.

From what everyone could hear, there was soft music of piano. Mint closed her eyes and then started singing.

_**Think of Me**__ from Phantom of the Opera_

_Think of me, think of me fondly,  
when we've said goodbye.  
Remember me once in a while -  
please promise me you'll try.  
When you find that, once again, you long  
to take your heart back and be free -  
if you ever find a moment,  
spare a thought for me_

When the music started to get grander, the agent's ears started to hurt and they covered them in pain. Mint still didn't stop singing. She kept on going.

We never said our love was evergreen,  
or as unchanging as the sea -  
but if you can still remember  
stop and think of me . . .

The agents started to flout back down to earth in pain as what the angels also noticed is that the moth stopped flapping it's wings too. It cried out in pain but it was not loud enough to cover Mint's singing.

_  
Think of all the things  
we've shared and seen -  
don't think about the way  
things might have been . . ._

_Think of me, think of me waking,  
silent and resigned.  
Imagine me, trying too hard  
to put you from my mind.  
Recall those days  
look back on all those times,  
think of the things we'll never do -  
there will never be a day,  
when I won't think of you . . ._

After that one strong note, the angels noticed something else. There was no more dust. It was almost like it was being purified by her voice. The air even looked cleaner as well as the sky above them. Ichigo on the ground started to gain consciousness because of Mint's singing. She sat up and looked around her. She saw all three agents on the ground, gripping their heads in pain. She was worried for Kish but the music she could hear surprised her. She looked up and she saw Mint in her knew form. She looked so beautiful, almost like a true angel as her lips curled up into a small sweet smile.

_Flowers fades,  
The fruits of summer fade,  
They have their seasons, so do we  
but please promise me, that sometimes  
you will think of me!_

When she sang the last strong high note, the wind picked up and just moved the dust away from the city. It was pushed together in a purple dust ball and then was purified at the spot. The moth cried out its last cry and then glowed white. That too disappeared along with the now saved human souls. The angels took in a breathe and it felt like they just had a taste of pure, clean air. It felt new to their lungs but it felt good.

The agents continued to grip their head in pain but neither of them let out a cry of pain. Ichigo turned her attention back to Kish. She crawled towards him and when he noticed her, she was already so close to him that she could touch him. His eyes widen in shock of her as her hand touched his head.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a sweet gentle tone. The other agents heard her and they saw how close Kish was allowing her to touch him.

Kish slap her hand away and told her, "Get away! Don't touch me!" Her eyes revealed her pain and he saw it. He looked the other way and then teleported. Tart and Sardon fallowed after him as Ichigo reached for Kish but was too late.

"Kisshu…" she mumbled. Her tears started to leak out of her eyes again. Her sobs clogged her voice and she started sobbing in her hands again.

Right after she started, she felt comforting arms on her shoulders. She looked up and Mint was sitting right next to her with her hands on Ichigo's shoulders. She smiled softly at her and said, "Please be patient. Just be patient a little longer." Her words sounded comforting and that made Ichigo start crying again. Mint pulled her closer and hugged her. The other mew mews were there too and they only watch Ichigo with sad eyes.

How much longer does Ichigo have to wait though?


	17. Explanation and Voices

**A/N: Hello everyone!! In case you don't know, I am sorry for that little drama with me being gone for a few days. As Inuyasha said, I was busy. Meaning which, let's give him a hand!! –clap, clap, clap-**

**Also, I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you for the wonderful reviews. They give me a piece of mind and they inspire me to write more and quicker. I'm sorry for the long previous chapter but I had to put it all in somewhere. Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When there is a voice, would you listen even when it's telling you to hate?_

Ch. 17: Explanation and Voices

"Kish! Sardon! Tart!" Deep Blue called, looking through his mirror while sitting on his chair again.

"Yes, Deep Blue-sama," the three agents greeted, appearing on their knees in a bowing position with black teleportation.

Deep Blue, not looking at them, said, "I saw everything." All three twitched at that. He knows… "And I saw some really disappointing things. First how you three fell to the mercy of those pesky angels and then you retreat without so much has harm to any of them. The only one who is hurt was hurt because she protected one of you." Silently, Kish gulped in nervousness. He's in trouble.

Tart looked up at him and asked, "But we-"

"Silent!" he ordered. Tart finch back from that as Deep Blue said, "I'm not finished."

Tart lowered his head and said, "Forgive me, my lord."

"I will since you three did get me some souls." All three looked up at him in surprise. Deep Blue told them, "That poison was more affected to the humans than the angels. The humans only had two minutes once inhaled to find a cure. Not enough time to find one is there?" He didn't let them answer. "From that attack, we've collected thirty new souls. I will congratulate you three on that. I would also like to thank you, Kish on the entertainment you showed me."

Kish asked, "Entertainment?"

"When that angel placed herself in harm's way just save you. Was it not amusing on how desperate she looked when she reached for you? Just watching her reactions and her pitiful efforts was amusing."

Kish looked down and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it, but my lord, forgive me for asking. But what happened with that one angel? Do you know why she transformed and how she was able to purify the poison?"

Deep Blue let out a small chuckled and answered, "It was because of the Mew Aqua inside of her."

All three looked up in confusion of that. "Mew Aqua?"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Ichigo! Table three needs the check!"

"Right!"

"Pour water for table seven!"

"Coming!"

"Those customers need to be seated!"

"Sorry, sorry! Hold on!"

Ichigo walked towards Mint and asked, "Why am I doing all the work around here?"

"Because I was the one who saved us all and didn't Ryou grounded you?" Mint asked, taking a sip of her tea. "Think of it as another form of punishment."

Ichigo could feel three veins pulsing on her head but she took a few deep breathes and tried her best to calm down. What Mint said was true but still. It doesn't mean that Ichigo can't be ticked off about it.

Ichigo told her, "You don't even know how that happened!"

"Which is why Ryou told us to come down for a meeting after working hours and after you finish cleaning," Zakuro intervened.

Mint smiled at her and said, "Thank you, onee-sama. You have such good memory. I almost forgot about that."

'_Ryou announced that five minutes ago before the place got busy,'_ Ichigo thought. Ichigo remembered how at the tower, Mint was acting almost like a kind mother and now she's back to her snobby, lazy self. _'Is this the same angel who saved Tokyo?'_ she wondered.

Hours later after everyone left the café and after Ichigo cleaned the whole place, all five mew mews went down to the basement for the little meeting. Keiichiro was sitting on his chair by the computer as Ryou was leaning on the wall next to Keiichiro. Both of them were facing the entrance the mew mews entered and all five girls were prepared.

Ryou said, "You guys ready?"

All of them nodded and Ichigo asked, "What happened yesterday?"

Keiichiro answered, "What happened to Mint is the reaction of Mew Aqua."

"Mew…Aqua?" Lettuce questioned.

Ryou explained, "Mew Aqua is inside every angel. Call it a power boost but it only reacts when an angel's feelings are overwhelming. Mint, you told Kish a few things that caused the Mew Aqua to react like how it did. It unleashed itself throughout your body and caused you to transform into a full angel." Ichigo looked Mint in surprise of that. Not because that Mint transformed into a full angel but that she told Kisshu things that caused her feelings to be too overwhelming.

Zakuro asked, "What do you mean by full angel? Aren't we angels now?"

"Yes," Keiichiro answered, "But you're only mew angels for say. Full angels are what you call the elite types of angels. Right now, you five are all very strong but that is only at the 'mew angel' level. Mint was able to transform into the next level that helped her purify the poison as well as a kirema anima that size."

Pudding asked, "Does that mean that Mint onee-chan is going to show her full angel form the next time she transforms?"

"Not unless her feelings are overwhelming again," Ryou answered. "The next time she transforms, she'll just be in her mew angel form. Being able to be a full angel is what you call a second level that you should only use when you really need it. Probably the next time that Mint transforms into her full angel form is probably when she's going to protect the one thing that is more important to her than her life itself." Mint turned a little red at that and when Ichigo saw it, she looked a bit confused.

Lettuce asked, "What about Ichigo-san? She sang."

"She sang a song with an agent," Ryou corrected. "First she was able to touch them and secondly, she's immune to their music. It seems to be that it's no real surprise that rock may be her music."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Mint spoke. "We all know that my music is opera, Zakuro's music is pop, Lettuce's music is Latin music, and Pudding's music is techno! None of those music types are the same as rock, alternative, or metal."

Keiichiro assured her, "We all are just as confused as you. For now, you four should go home and please be careful."

Zakuro answered, "Alright."

Ryou asked, "Lettuce! Pudding! Are you staying here again?" Sheepishly, both of them nodded.

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"Where are you going, you dolt?!" Tart asked as he saw Kisshu in his human form putting a hat on.

Kisshu turned to him and answered, "What do you think it looks like, idiot? I'm going out?"

Sardon asked, "Where?"

"What are you? My parents because last time I check, I don't have any."

Sardon told him, "Now that's enough! You know that we're just curious."

"Well you two should know that it's none of your damn business. I just need some air, that's all."

"Why? Because that angel purified the air?" Tart asked.

Kisshu rolled his eyes and left. He teleported from the depths of hell to the surface of the earth. He came out of hiding from behind a tree and looked around. So many humans walking around with family and friends; laughing or talking. It would made him sick but Kisshu just walked right into the crowded park and started walk. All he needed is some air and some time to himself.

Then as he walked, he saw a bench with two people sitting on it. They were holding hands and they were kissing; a man and a woman. Kisshu stopped and watched them with a dull blank expression. The woman noticed him and backed away from her lover. The guy looked behind him to see Kisshu and he did not looked pleased.

"What you looking at, punk?" he asked.

Kisshu looked away and then continued walking. In his thoughts, he kept hearing a soft, beautiful voice ringing in his head. All of them were from memories of what happened yesterday at Tokyo Tower.

"_KISSHU!!!"_

"_I would love too, but… I left the blotch at the café."_

"_Kisshu!"_

"_B-B-But…"_

"_Did Ryou told you to give this to me?"_

"_Do what? What did I do?"_

"_How am I supposed to not lie when I don't even know what I did wrong?"_

"_When you told me that Dren died, I will admit that I was devastated. But when I was young, I was told so many times that he was never coming back. That he's gone forever. I still didn't believe them but there was a part of me that did. So I decided that if I kept myself busy until he returns, I could ease that part of me. The reason why I didn't say 'yes' to you before was because you reminded me so much of him. But it'd different now. It's different because the one I lo-"_

_She slightly reached for her and called, "Kisshu?"_

"_You okay?"_

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Kisshu…"_

His thoughts were on Ichigo, her words, and her actions. Why did she call out to him? Why did she say the things she said? Why did she sing with him? Why did she protect him when Zakuro was going to whip him? Why did he call out for her?

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After the little meeting was over, Mint and Zakuro went home as Lettuce and Pudding stayed at the café. During dinner, it was quiet. Ichigo wanted to ask about what Mint told Kish but her voice would get clogged up and she wouldn't say anything. After dinner, it was still the same thing. She wanted to ask but her voice would clog and she didn't say a word. All three girls got cleaned and went to bed. But that night was anything but peaceful.

As the crescent moon was shining through the window, the moonlight shined perfectly on their sweaty faces. Lettuce, Ichigo and Pudding were tossing and turning in the bed and pain appeared on their faces. In their heads, they kept hearing a voice that repeating nearly the same words or different words with the same meanings.

'_**He tried to kill you. Why do you still hold back?'**_

'_**He killed the last of your family in cold blood. You're little sister and your brothers. So why do you cry more for him and not your dead family?'**_

'_**He killed your true love and your parents, but you still protect him. It's obvious that he doesn't feel the same for you anymore.'**_

'_**Hate them…Hate him…It's okay to hate…Especially to those who cannot be saved.'**_


	18. Voices and Crack

**A/N: Hello everyone!! I am so sorry but I got some reviews that people are waiting for a new chapter for 'The Truth is Speaking to you, Ichigo!' and 'You're a girl?' I'm afraid to say that until that I finish these two stories that I am working on now, I cannot start those stories. I love you all but my fear of stopping these two stories in the middle of them is stronger.**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all the wonderful reviews and please keep me coming. If you do, I will write two chapters for this story and update them in one day!! Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When you see the one you love show affection to another, do you listen to the hate?_

Ch. 18: Voices and Crack

"Hey, nii-sama! Where's the idiot?" Tart asked Sardon.

Sardon only put the book he was reading down and answered, "How should I know? I don't put trackers on him."

Tart shook his head and mumbled, "I swear that idiot wil be the death of us all!"

Sardon went back to reading his book and told him, "Well it's not like we're going to any place then this. We're already in hell."

Tart's face fell and asked, "Hey, nii-sama, do you think we deserve this?" Sardon looked at him again.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why us? What did we ever do to become agents and kill all of those humans? No offence, but they were people who had family and friends, goals, dreams, and ideas. Why did they deserve to die?"

Sardon closed his book and motioned Tart to come over. Tart did and Sardon put one arm on his shoulders. He leaned his head against Tart's and told him, "I don't like it either, but Deep Blue-sama said that no one will accept us. I thought that I did at first and look where that got me. It was a good thing that Kish got to you before you were hurt and that Deep Blue-sama got to him before he got too terribly hurt."

Tart mumbled, "I think that Deep Blue-sama didn't completely get to nii-san. He's still gone, thinking about what happened. I bet he's thinking of her because of what she did."

"She's only confusing him. He'll see the truth, rather by our lord or by the pain she will give him."

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About fifteen minutes before the café opened, Mint was in her limo looking outside the window. The driver pressed the button to lower the window between them and he asked, "Do I pick you up at six or do I wait for your call?"

Mint still had her eyes outside as she answered, "Wait for my call. The café is new with some problems. Who knows what's going to happen." Both her and the driver laughed at that for a brief moment but Mint's laugh only lasted for about a moment. Too many things were going through her mind. Especially about someone who in the park walking in a crowd of humans. Wait! What?!

Immediately, Mint yelled, "Stop the car!" As ordered, the driver stopped the car and Mint instantly jumped out of the car and ran.

The driver got out and called, "Mint-sama!" But she didn't listen. There was only one thing on her mind as she went into the crowd and frantically looked for him.

'_Kisshu!'_

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"Where's Mint?" Ryou asked before he went back to his room.

Zakuro looked up from her sweeping chore and answered, "I don't know. I didn't see her at all today."

"Hmmm," was all Ryou said. He looked at Lettuce, Pudding, and Ichigo and they all looked like they were completely out of it. Rather it was because of what happened at Tokyo tower or something else. "Hey!" All three still didn't look up at him. They had matters of their own that went as fast as five thoughts in one second.

Lettuce kept hearing, _**'Why did Pai went to you anyway? Was it because he knew that you were a freak so he just went to you because he found he's a freak too?'**_

'_Pai-sensei is not a freak. He's a good person,'_ she told the voice.

'_**A good person wouldn't abandon someone like how he abandoned you. He used you to fill up the loneliness he felt. Now that he found others who understand him better than you, he abandoned you to go to them. He used you. Just hate him. It makes things so much easier.'**_

'_No I will not!'_

'_**Why not? He hates you.'**_

'_No! Please be quiet! You don't know him! You don't know him!'_

'_**And you do?'**_

'_Yes! I will always believe in Pai-sensei! He's a good person and I love him!'_

After Lettuce thought that, not only did the voice stop but she gasped in surprise. Suddenly she felt freed and found. Like she was always in a dark abyss with no light and the moment she found out the truth, a bright white path just revealed itself to her.

Meanwhile, someone was also trying to convince Pudding. _**'You lost your mother after she gave birth to your little sister, your father died from being massacred in China, and your siblings died by the one person you trusted; Taruto. He killed them in cold blood and turned them into kirema animas so that he can kill you. Surely that means that he does not care for you.'**_

'_You don't know anything about Taru-Taru! Who are you anyway, na no da?'_

'_**Who I am is not important, yet but I do know a lot about Taruto. Such strong spirits and he can be very protective with the ones he cares about. Was he ever like that with you?'**_

'_What do you mean, na no da?'_

'_**I mean, did he ever stood up for you or protect you in anyway? He saw you in trouble with the kirema animas and he just ran. He wanted to get away from you because he hates you. You should hate him too.'**_

'_No, na no da! He was scared, na no da! He was scared because he killed them, na no da. He didn't want to hurt me, na no da. He cared for me so much that he left so that he wouldn't hurt me, na no da.'_

'_**That was then and what about now? He tried to kill you multiple times.'**_

'_Not his fault, na no da! He was ordered to do that, na no da! You know what, na no da? You should get out of my head right now because there is no way that I will ever thing like that about Taru-Taru! He's my friend and I love him too much to hate!'_

The voice stopped and that surprised her. She gasped and wondered if what she just thought made him leave. But also, were they words from the heart? Ichigo was having a very different kind of problem. She couldn't get rid of it like how Lettuce and Pudding were able too.

'_**Killed your true love and then your parents. Why would he do that, I wander. Maybe it was because he wanted to see your face when you realized that this whole time, you were seeing a killer.'**_

'_He's not a killer! Who the hell are you anyway?'_

'_**Fascinating, Ichigo. You're an angel and yet you can swear. It's unnatural for an angel to swear or even get angry.'**_

'_I wouldn't be so angry if you would just leave me the hell alone! Me being a different angel than everyone else is none of your damn business!'_

'_**Fine. Let's talk about something else then. How about frustration? Did you even have the slightest clue that Kisshu was getting frustrated on how you keep rejecting him? He wanted you and yet you pushed him away. Then after frustration, there's anger. He was angry that you were with another guy twenty four seven. Every time he saw you with that Ryou guy, he would get so angry that he didn't mind the fact that Mint was clinging to him. Ever thought about that? Why exactly didn't Kisshu push her away when he cared for you? Maybe he cared for her more because she was an easy catch.'**_

"HEY!!!" All three girls jumped up and quickly turned around to see a pretty annoyed Ryou. He asked, "Have any of you seen Mint at all today?"

Lettuce answered, "No."

Pudding answered, "No, na no da."

"Maybe she's stuck in traffic. They said that traffic is really bad today," Ichigo suggested when she remembered that.

Ryou said, "Okay then, Ichigo go look for her!"

"What?" she asked. "Why do I have to look for you?"

He answered, "Because you seem to have more knowledge about where the traffic is. All you have to do is go to the source and check the cars to make sure she's in one of them. If not, then come back. She'll probably be back way before you do."

"Then why not wait?"

"Because this would be part of your punishment." After he said that, Ichigo was burning with the flames of anger and Ryou didn't seem to mind. He turned around and walked away before daggers started flying out of her eyes.

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"Kisshu…Kisshu…Kisshu!" Mint chanted as she kept running through the crowd.

Because there are so much people in her way, she still hasn't caught up with him. She could still see him though the group of heads and she could call for him but with this many humans around and what both Kisshu and she are, she didn't want to cause a scene.

Then Kisshu took a turn in a more deserted area and Mint saw where and she got nervous when she didn't see him. She quickened her haste and the other humans started to get annoyed. She went to the turn where she saw him leave and she saw him just about to make another turn. Because there are no more humans around, she ran. As tired as she was trying to pass the humans, it's amazing that she could still run but maybe it's because she really wants to talk to him.

'_I have to know! I have to know why!'_ she thought as she made another turn that she saw him take. Then when she was so close and almost out of breath, she kept running until she got close enough for him to hear.

"Kisshu!!" Mint finally yelled. He stopped walking and looked over his shoulder to see her leaning on her knees, trying to breathe. When she looked up after a couple of breathes, he turned completely around to face her. He didn't look surprised at all to see her like she expected. He looked at her like he was always a cold hearted, dead person. She leaned over again to get more breathes in her lungs before she talked. Kisshu was the first.

"What?" he asked her. She looked up and he told her, "If you want to fight then forget it. I'm not in the mood right now."

She shook her head and said, "I didn't fallow you from the road to the other side of the park to fight. I fallowed you because I want answers."

He asked, "What kind of answers?"

"I don't know! Explanations, yes or no answers, or simple answers. Anything that could clear this confusion." She tried breathing again as Kisshu looked up at the sky.

"Give me one good reason why I should tell anything to an angel like you."

"Because," she breathed out. She stood up and answered, "Right now I'm not an angel and you're not an agent. Even if you transform, my thought will not be changed."

He let out a sigh and told her, "I guess I can spare a few minutes. I don't have to go back until sundown." Mint looked at the sky and the sun was getting close to the mountains but only by a big distance. She has plenty of time. "And on one condition."

She looked back at him and asked, "And what's that?"

"You have to swear that you will not tell Ichigo. If you promise, I will answer any question you asked, truthfully." He looked at her with a serious face and she looked at him with a defeated face.

"I promise," she answered.

"Then fire away with the questions."

"Why did you suddenly hate Ichigo? Don't you love her?"

He didn't answer right away. He looked at the ground and answered, "I'll always love Ichigo but this is the way it should be. I'm an agent and she's an angel. We can't even touch each other without hurting one another."

"But you and Ichigo can touch each other more than five minutes! If we touch in either our agents form or angel form, we feel pain the moment our skin touches."

"That doesn't matter, Mint. She's an angel and I'm an agent. You're an angel too but I'm talking to you out of a whim."

Mint looked hurt but she shook her head and told him, "I don't care! As long as I get my answers."

"Then what is your next question?"

"Did you really kill Dren? Ichigo's first love?"

Like the first answer, he didn't answer right away. "Yes," he said slowly. "I did kill him."

"How? When?"

"I killed him on the day I met Ichigo. I stabbed his heart and he died breathing out her name. He looked so…heartbroken."

Mint got quiet for a bit and then asked, "Did you really kill Ichigo's parents?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I sliced them both in half and they bleed to death."

"Why didn't you just drink their blood and then turn them into kirema animas?"

"Because I wanted to Ichigo to become weak enough for me to destroy. Everything I did and said was all to hurt her so that she would be an easy target."

"To hurt her to destroy her or to hurt her so that she can be free?" Kisshu looked up at Mint in total surprise. He was completely speechless like she just pressed the silent button on him. Since he's silent, Mint added, "If you still love Ichigo like you said, then the only reason why you're hurting her is so that she can hate you and then move on. You hate it when she cries for you, you can't bear it when she spills her own blood for you, and it's unbearable to hear her call out your name."

"_Kisshu!!"_

Ichigo's voice rang in Kisshu's head. In fact, Mint's right. It hurts to see her in pain because of him. That time when she went in front of Zakuro's whip to protect him, he called out to her because he still loves her but he shut up because he doesn't deserve to call out for her.

Right after she said that, Ichigo took a turn and she saw both Kisshu and Mint facing each other. _'Mint… and Kisshu? What are they doing together?'_ she wondered. She got behind the first tree nearest to her and she stayed in hiding as she got closer. When she got a good view and good hearing range of them, she saw Kisshu's pained face and Mint's waiting expression. Something happened.

Kisshu bit his lip and turned around. "It doesn't matter anymore. She knows just as well as I that this is the way it should be." He started walking away

'_Wait! You mean to tell me that the reason why he chose to fight me was because it was meant to be? No! That can't be right!'_ Ichigo got half a mind to just run out of her hiding place and tell him to wait after that thought but someone beat her to it.

"Kisshu, wait! Please!" Mint yelled. When he didn't stop, she yelled out a confession. "I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it!!" That paralyzed two people after she said that. Kisshu stopped walking as a sudden warm feeling pulsed throughout his body and Ichigo stopped breathing as a stabbing pain entered her chest. Tears started to leak out of Mint's eyes as she confessed, "Since the day I met you, I loved you. But because you and Ichigo looked so happy together, I didn't make any serious moves. Ichigo's my best friend and I love her but I love you too! Please! If you would just stay with me then I can give you happiness! I'll do anything you want! We can work it out, I promise! Just please come back… and…"

'_And smile with Ichigo again,'_ Mint finished in her mind. She could finish because her tears were choking her throat.

Kisshu just kept feeling that warmth from her words while Ichigo still felt that pain but it started to get cold and it hurt even more.

'_What is this?'_ both Kisshu and Ichigo wondered.

Kisshu looked back at Mint and because she's crying, her eyes were closed and she didn't see him look at her but Ichigo did. She saw his shocked expression and seeing that hurt her. He walked up to Mint but she didn't notice he was there until he used his hand to lift up her face. His finger went under her chin and he made her look at him in surprise. Then Kisshu did something that really hurt Ichigo. He leaned to Mint's face and licked her tears away from her eyes. Mint's eyes widen at the touch of his tongue. When he parted, he looked directly at her and then leaned towards her again. This time, he kissed her. He pressed his lips against hers.

That did it. Ichigo felt the piercing pain just explode in her heart and it demolished it. Her legs felt weak and her mind was a blank. She couldn't move so she just watched. Soon Mint relaxed and then kissed him back. That only made the tears leak out of Ichigo's eyes and her whole body shook. The sun started to set when Kisshu and Mint broke the kiss.

He whispered, "Thank you." Then he walked away and she didn't try to stop him. His kiss paralyzed her to the ground. When Kisshu was a good distance, he teleported away with his black orb.

'_What…'_ Mint used her fingers to gently touch her lips as her cheeks turned red. Her heart is pounding from the sudden excitement and she wondered, _'What…happened?'_

Ichigo on the other hand, turned away from the scene and leaned on the tree for support. But even that wasn't enough. She slid to the ground as endless tears leaked from her eyes and drowned her voice. Her heart pounded but each pound brought unbearable pain through her body. Her body shook with each pulse and her mind was blank of her thoughts.

"_**It's okay to hate them. Hate them both."**_ It's _him_ again, but she didn't block him out like how she planed. She listened to every word he wanted to say. _**"You're love just cheated with your best friend. You feel the betrayal and the sadness because of them. Hate them…hate them… it's okay to hate…"**_

For once, Ichigo felt like he's right. Her tears stop and her body froze. She didn't feel the pain anymore. Only the hot, burning feeling of hatred pulsing throughout her body. Ichigo lifted herself up and looked back at Mint. She still looked like the happy little bird girl who just found its mate. She gritted her teeth and walked away.

'_I hate them! I detest Mint and I despise Kisshu!!'_

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"Kish, why are you going around in circles?" Tart asked. "Are you a dog?"

Kish still looked deep in thought as he told him, "Shut up! I'm thinking!"

"Well isn't that a danger zone?" Sardon asked, reading his book.

When Kish was going to yell at him, he saw him reading a book. He asked, "Where did you get that book?"

"Why?"

"Just tell me where you got the book!"

Sardon put the book down and answered, "Deep Blue-sama has a library and I looked through it."

"What is that book about?"

"The story of what happened during the great war between angels and agents." At that answer, Kish took it out of his hands and started flipping through the pages. Sardon was calmly angry. In other words, he was didn't make a big deal out of his anger but he was furious. "Well that was rude." Tart only hid behind a neighboring rock to not get involved with his older brother's furry.

Meanwhile, Kish was desperately looking through book. If it's supposed to be about what happened in the first time there was agents then there could be something in history that could explain that warm feeling earlier that day. When he was close to the end, he found something very interesting.

_**An angel is a being filled with feelings of love and will not feel hatred. Agents are beings filled with hatred so they cannot feel love. However is an angel feels hate then the agent will be stronger and if an agent feels love then the angel will get stronger. Humans are beings filled with both love and hatred. If a human is filled with mostly hatred then thou will become an agent and if a human is filled with love then thou will be an angel. The most painful thing you will ever learn is to hate and be hated in return but the greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.**_

Kish thought, _'So for me to escape this agent curse, I just need to love someone and be loved in return? Then that means….I got to get Ichigo to tell me that she loves me? Oh shit!'_


	19. Getting Her Back

**A/N: Hello everyone!! I know that I said that I will unleash two chapters in one day and I will but it didn't mean that I was going to release them at the same time. So enjoy this one for about ten or thirty minutes and I will add the next one!**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. I get really inspired. Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_How can you ask someone to tell you something she no longer feels? Beg or force her?_

Ch. 19: Getting Her Back

"Ichigo, can you get the bill for table five?" Mint asked, sipping her tea.

Ichigo told her, "You have two hands and two feet. Get it yourself!" Then Ichigo walked away while Mint looked at her with a confused expression.

Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro were nearby so Mint asked, "What's her problem?"

Pudding answered, "Don't know. When Ichigo onee-chan came to work, she was so upset that she even made Ryou onii-chan shut up. Then Mint onee-chan came in and she's been more moody than when she came in."

Mint put her tea cup down and asked, "And this has been going on for how long?"

"A week," Pudding answered. Then Mint stood up and both Pudding and Lettuce felt really scared. They started to worry while Zakuro only watched.

Mint walked over towards Ichigo and grabbed her shoulder. She turned her around and asked, "What's your problem?"

Ichigo only gave her the angry blank face as she asked, "What problem?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Ichigo Momomiya! I know that you're angry at me but I don't know what! What is it?"

"Oh let me think. Let's see, you make me work like a slave, you never do your duties, you treat me like some kind of low life, and you're a backstabber!"

Mint raised a brow and asked, "Backstabber? What did I do?"

"Don't act! I know you know!" Ichigo told her, starting to get angry.

"Know what, Ichigo? Because by far, I don't remember ever backstabbing you with anything!"

"How about when you kept clinging to him when it was obvious that he didn't like you like that?!" Ichigo asked. Mint paused for a bit out of surprise and the other mew mews were confused by that. Then it started to get the customers attention.

Mint gained back her composer and told her, "That was a long time ago before he turned against us, Ichigo!"

"It wasn't that long ago! It was only a week ago I saw you with him!!" she outburst. Mint looked like she was just caught with murder as the mew mews were just shocked.

Mint looked the other way and asked, "Wha-What do you mean?"

"You see?! Right there is proof that you were there! I saw you, Mint! Getting all friendly with him especially him! He's the lowest of the low and you had the nerve to just tell him that you love him and then allow him to kiss you! Who's side are you on, Mint?!" She glared flaming daggers at Mint as all the color left her face.

Mint let out a breathe to calm down and took one step closer to her. Not good. "Ichigo! Listen to m-"

_Slap_

"Don't you dare talk to me again, you backstabbing, lying, cheating whore!!" Right after that, Ichigo stormed out of the café and into the park. Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro went to Mint's side and Mint looked like she was ready to cry.

She mumbled, "She doesn't know. She doesn't…know…" Then her tears took over and she sobbed. She fell to her knees and her face was buried in her hands.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was fast walking away from the café and deep into the park where she knows that she can be alone. Her arms were crossed across her chest and she stomped her way to the forest.

'_Who the hell does she think she is?! Does she think I'm stupid or something? Bitch!'_ she thought as she continued with her fast angry walk.

Then things felt like she wasn't alone anymore. She stopped walking and listened. There was nothing but she couldn't shake that feeling of uneasiness inside her. She went to her pocket and took out her cell. On her cell phone is Masha as a key chain. She whispered to it, "Masha, do you sense anything?"

"Wait! Wait!" he whispered back. Then seconds later, he cried out loud, "Agent alert! Agent alert!"

"Now I remember," a voice said. Ichigo tensed up and looked around to find the voice. "That's the annoying little robot that annoyed me on my first day." Finally, Ichigo looked up on a tree and she saw Kish leaned on a branch like he was there the whole entire time.

"You mean the day you killed my parents?" she asked him.

Kish looked at her and said, "Not like I could control myself. You of all people should know that I couldn't control myself without my ring. You saw me throw it away." Ichigo growled at him and he smiled. "You know, you're cute when you're angry."

"Who asked you?!" She went to Masha and told him, "Masha! Go get the others now! Knowing him, he probably has big plans." Masha transformed into his original form and teleported away in a white light.

Kish told her, "I have big plans alright." He disappeared from the branch and appeared in front of her. He was only an inch away from her face as he said, "But they all concern about you." She could taste his breathe in her mouth but she backed away as far away as she could.

She took out her golden blotch and yelled, "Mew Mew Strawberry Meta mor-" Before she finished it, Kish summoned a Sai and knocked it straight from her hand.

_Cling_

The blotch went into the bushes and Ichigo grasped her hand that had the blotch. He told her, "Sorry, Ichigo but it would so difficult to carry out my plans if you transform." Then he disappeared and Ichigo looked around but still can't find him.

Getting irritated, she yelled, "Where the hell are you? Come on out so I can purify your ass!" Right after that, she felt cold hands wrap around her from behind and she froze at his touch.

He had on a sweet smile as he told her, "You know an angel isn't supposed to swear. Besides how are you going to purify me, honey?"

Angered by what he called her, she pushed him away and yelled, "Get the hell away from me!" He got out of the way before she could hit him away.

"Naughty words shouldn't be spoken from your mouth," Kisshu told her again, from right above her. Seeing him, she tried punching him but he got out of the way; the smile still on his face.

"Hold still, jackass! I'm trying to hit you!"

"Feisty as always. That's what I love about you, koneko-chan!" That only made her more upset.

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not? That name sounds so cute," he told her. She tried kicking him this time, but he dodged by disappearing. When he reappeared, he appeared right next to Ichigo and lightly kissed her cheek. She backed away, appalled by that.

"How dare you kiss me, you murder!!" She was able to slap his cheek with the back of her hand and he looked the other way. He looked at her for a moment and then smiled.

"That's the Ichigo I know! You haven't changed a bit! The only difference is that you have a temper problem like your father." That made her upset.

"Don't you ever talk about my family like that again!" She got another one of her fists ready and she strike but he caught it in his hands. She got her other hand ready but he caught that one too. He didn't let go as Ichigo was trying to pull her hands back. "Let go of me!"

"Nope, not until you tell me something."

She stopped struggling and looked up. "Oh yeah? What?"

"Can you tell me what you were going to tell me the day when we both sang?" Ichigo looked like she lost her anger and all she did was stare in surprise. He smiled at her sweetly and told her, "It's only three little words. Just tell me."

Some of her anger returned and she asked, "If you already know what it is, then why ask me to say it? You're wasting your time since it's already dead." He didn't lose his smile.

"Don't say that, koneko-chan. I know that you still feel it so tell me. If you want, I can tell you first." Taken back by that, she didn't react enough when Kish pulled her closer to him and he hugged her. "I love you, Ichigo. I always have and I always will." Even though she felt a bit happy inside, she tried not to give in to it. She pushed him away and glared at the confused Kish.

"First you tell me that you're an agent, you killed Dren, you killed my parents, you leave me, try to kill me, you betray me, and now you expect me to just accept you back into my life?! Boy, you got another thing coming!" she told him. "You want me to say those three words to you? Fine I'll say them! Kish, I ha-" She didn't finish the last sentence. Kish grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards him so that he could kiss her to shut up. She was taken back by the kiss as Kish broke it. She couldn't see his face.

"Please don't say those words," he pleaded. "I don't want to hear it. I want you to say that you love me. That's all. Can't you just say them and mean it? Please, Ichigo…That's all I ask."

After a long time for once, Ichigo felt sorry for him. She didn't push him back right after that like she planned on doing but she didn't say anything either. He looked up at her and she saw them; the pain and the hoping in his eyes. It made her guiltier for how she was acting before, but she tried her hardest not to give in to them.

She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back a bit. She didn't look up at him and his hands weren't on her anymore.

"Shut the hell up with your big ass lies," she harsh said. Kish got cautious. "What the hell still makes you think that I'll just say yes and say them? Agent, you must be dreaming." Right after she said agent, she felt a slight piercing pain on her neck.

On her neck, Kish injected a pink substance through a shot needle. He made sure that all of the substance was in it and then Ichigo felt really, really hot. Her legs started shaking enough for her to start collapsing. He caught her with one arm and used his other hand to take the needle out. He bent down to her neck and licked the tiny hole before the blood started to gush out.

"Wha-What did you do?" she asked him, feeling his cold tongue against her skin. She was going to say something else but he backed away from her neck and then kissed her again. His free hand went behind her neck and he pushed her closer to him; locking her in place.

Then to Ichigo's surprise, she tasted something warm enter her mouth and then down her throat. It tasted like iron and she remembered that taste from past experience; blood. When the blood went down her throat, the feeling she felt before made her feel weird and like something was trying to control her. She closed her eyes to try and push him away but his hold on her was too tight. The more she struggled, the tighter his hold became.

'_Kisshu….please…stop…'_

After that thought, she became so weak and numb that she fell unconscious with Kish still kissing her. Her arms went limp and hanged on the side of her body while Kish continued to add more blood.

"Ichigo?!"

Hearing them, Kisshu broke the kiss and looked to the side to see all four mew mews, transformed and shocked. After he broke the kiss, Ichigo's head leaned back almost like she was sleeping and a small amount of blood came out from the side of her mouth. Zakuro stared in surprise as everyone else was paralyzed. Zakuro got angry real fast.

"Get off of her!" she yelled, getting her whip out.

Carefully and quickly, Kish put Ichigo back on the ground and teleported before he got hit. Since Kish wasn't near Ichigo anymore and he's gone, the girls ran to her.

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" Mint called.

Lettuce called, "Ichigo-san, hang in there!"

"Wake up, Ichigo onee-chan!" Pudding pleaded.

Zakuro just stared in worry at the unconscious companion. But even after their multiple cries, she didn't wake up. That only made them more worried about what Kish did to her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

In the basement of the café, Ichigo was on an analyzing table coffin. The lights under her were on and she was still unconscious. Keiichiro was typing at full speed on his computer, Ryou was looking over his shoulder, and the other Mew Mews were waiting patiently for some results. Mint was the only one who was walking back and forth in worry.

She asked, "Anything yet?"

Ryou told her, "Just wait, Mint. Worrying like that isn't going to make things go faster."

Mint looked sadden and said, "Sorry, but I just feel responsible."

Ryou looked up at her from the corner of his eye and Lettuce stepped forward to put her hand on Mint's shoulder. Zakuro mentioned, "Earlier, Ichigo said that she saw you with Kisshu. Care to explain?"

Mint let out a sigh and answered, "On the way to work, the traffic was terrible so I stared out the window. Then I saw Kisshu in the park and I just ran out of the car and fallowed him. I wanted answers about why he was acting like how he is now. He made me promise to not tell so I can't tell you anything else more. Then I guess Ichigo saw us because she mentioned herself that she saw me kiss him."

Pudding went up to her and asked, "Why did you kiss him anyway, Mint onee-chan?"

"Because I told him that I love him," she answered. Everyone stopped working and looked at her in surprise. "He was the one who kissed me but maybe it was only a thanks."

"_**Thank you."**_

Mint could still remember his words perfectly as the warmth returned back to her lips. Her first kiss and it was amazing since it came from the one she loved but was it true love's first kiss like the fairy tales?

"Ummm."

All eyes were back to the coffin and they all saw Ichigo opening her eyes.

"Ichigo!" Mint called, rushing towards the coffin.

"Mint-san! Wait!" Keiichiro called but she didn't listen. She opened the coffin as soon as she arrived by Ichigo's side. The top fell off and Mint leaned over to her side.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worriedly.

Ichigo looked at her with weak eyes and mumbled, "Mint?"

Lettuce called, "Ichigo-san!"

"Ichigo onee-chan!"

Soon all four mew mews were by her side as Ichigo sat up. She held her head in her hand and asked, "Where am I?"

"We're at the café," Zakuro answered, dryly.

Mint mumbled, "Thank goodness you're okay. I'm so sorry about what happened. I should never have seen him." What surprised her was that Ichigo's hand lightly touched the top of Mint's head and rubbed it like a little child.

Mint looked up at Ichigo and she saw her sweetly smiled at her. Ichigo said, "It's okay. Don't be ashamed." Mint was confused as Ichigo jumped off the table and started walking to the door.

"Ichigo!" Ryou called. She stopped and looked at him like she didn't know anything as he asked, "Do you think you should still be walking around?"

She asked, "Why? Did something happen?"

He got annoyed and asked, "Oh I don't know, maybe that when the angels found you, you were unconscious and you were in the arms of an agent."

After he said that, Ichigo went up to him and punched him straight on. That was surprising even though that's the third time she hit him. They both stood up straight and Ryou wiped the blood from the corner of his lips as Ichigo had one hand on her hips and one pointing up.

She told him, "Don't talk like you know everything, id-i-ot! You don't even know his name. Now if you don't mind, I have to be somewhere."

He asked, "Where?"

"Why to oji-sama of course!"

He raised a brow and asked, "Oji-sama?" Everyone else was just as confuse as him because all they know is that Ryou is the only prince here, unless…

Keiichiro asked, "You can't mean…"

Then a black orb appeared behind her but nothing came out. Ichigo turned around and cheered, "He's here!" She turned around, ready to enter but Ryou caught her wrist. Then a black blast shoot out and hit Ryou away from Ichigo.

"Ryou-sama!" Keiichiro called.

The other mew mews were shocked to see that too. Then when Ichigo turned around, the orb started to close. She was shocked to see it disappear but then her expression changed. She started running towards the door. When she opened the door, that was when everyone's attention was on her again.

"Ichigo!" they called but she was already running. Being able to, the mew mews were the first to run after her. Keiichiro helped Ryou up and they fallowed the angels.

Having cat like powers, Ichigo was able to get out of the café in only about five seconds. When the angels ran up the stairs, they saw that the front door was wide open. They ran out and they were really shock to see the outside. They saw Kisshu and Ichigo at the sidewalk and they were hugging each other. Her arms were around his neck and his arms were around her waist. They backed away to stare at each other's eyes and they looked so happy.

He whispered, "I'm sorry I took so long, koneko-chan."

"It's okay, oji-sama. You came for me in the end," she told him.

Mint called, "Ichigo!!"

They looked towards the café and Ichigo smiled at them. "Bye-bye, guys! I'm going to go live with oji-sama now!"

Pudding asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm quitting to be an angel so that I can be with oji-sama. Face it! I love him too much to fight him."

Kisshu tightened his grip around her and whispered in her ear, "You love me?"

Her hand went to the side of his face and told him, "Naturally."

"Then let's go," he whispered in a rather sexy, lustful tone.

She whispered back, "Okay." She looked at her friends and waved. "Bye-bye." Then Kisshu created a black orb and it swallowed both Ichigo and him. Then they both disappeared.

"Ichigo!!"


	20. I Want to Believe

**A/N: Hello everyone!! As promise, here is the next second chapter of the day. I just needed to revise it a little. I hoped you like the other one while this one was preparing itself for your enjoyment.**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming!! I get inspired, remember? Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When you finally have the very thing you want, do you want to believe it that you have it when it's not really her?_

Ch. 20: I Want to Believe

"I…I have to…control," she mumbled. She leaned on the tree for support as her hand over her heart gripped that area. The pain in her chest kept growing and growing.

"Ichigo!"

From the sound of her name, she looked up at the trail behind her and Kish was there.

"Don't come….near me!" she told him, in her weak voice.

He didn't back away. He walked forward towards her. She tried to walk away but, she was too slow. Soon, he was right in front of her and he grabbed her hand that was leaning on the tree. He placed it on over his heart and he put his other hand on her shoulder.

His head gently leaned against hers and he whispered, "Koneko-chan."

She mumbled, "L-Let go of me… you murderer." She didn't put up any restraint. Only her voice told him that she hates him.

He answered, "No, I won't. You and I are bound together, forever. Being away from you hurts me more than death." He turned her around and grasped both of her hands as his arms wrapped around her. "Return to me, koneko-chan. Only then will your suffering end. Return and be my princess." His lips pressed against her skin on her neck and she let out a soft moan in pleasure.

"No!" she mumbled. "I won't be your princess. I am an angel who purifies the demons that you created."

"But if you don't, then your suffering will only continue," Kisshu told her. In his hold, Ichigo lightly flinched. His hands let go of hers and he completely wrapped his arms around her. "My blood is flowing through your veins and in that blood is also demon blood. It can't be stopped and the longer you fight it, the more painful it will be for you. But my love for you will ease that pain. I promise to always love you for you forever, and ever, love. So please, return to me."

Ichigo was silent and completely still after that. Kish waited patiently for her but nothing happened. She didn't say any words of resistant's and she didn't make any moves of resistant. It's been about three weeks since Ichigo's 'crazy episode' in front of the café. The Mew Mews and the Angels looked all over for her but she lost her blotch and Masha wasn't with her so it was harder. Kisshu took Ichigo to his house and when Tart and Sardon saw her, happily making dinner for them, they were chasing Kish all over town with trying to kill him. Both Kisshu and Ichigo were acting like a married couple with one another; lovey-dovey scenes all around. Then just recently, Ichigo started acting weird and this was the first time she ran away.

After a few moments, Ichigo smiled and said, "Sorry, oji-sama. I must be losing my head."

Kish looked up at her, relieved as he answered, "It's okay, love. You're safe so no harm done." He kissed her cheek and she giggled at his touch.

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

Kish went to his pocket and took out his phone. Since he saw that the caller ID is Sardon or Pai, he answered, "Hello?"

"_TO HELL WITH HELLO!!! GET YOUR ASS IN HELL, NOW!!!"_ Tart yelled from the other end. Kish had to pull the phone as far as he can from his ear as Ichigo tip-toed to kiss his cheek.

When it was safe, Kish put the phone back to his ear and asked, "Tart, where's your phone? Why are you using nii-san's phone? Why are you even calling?" In the background, Kish could hear the phone being transported from Tart to Sardon in one order.

Sardon answered, _"Because we need to talk about you and your little kitten. Get in here and listen."_

Kish asked, "Give me one good reason why I should?"

Ichigo leaned in to get a better listen as Sardon answered, _"Because if you do this, then we won't ever bother you when you're with Ichigo ever again, no matter how urgent or how disgusting it will be."_ Ichigo turned really red at that and Kish had the same idea she's having.

"You guys are sick," he told them. Then he let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll come." He hang up the phone right after that and Ichigo started to look a little sad.

"Oji-sama, are you going to leave me?" she whined with big puppy dog eyes.

Kish smiled at her and then kissed her forehead. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you even miss me." She still had that look.

"But I miss you already."

He pet her head like a little cat and asked, "Then shall I give you something to remember me by?"

Her face perked up and she answered, "Sure!"

He smiled and then pressed his lips against hers a second later. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his hand went behind her head to pull her closer as the other held her waist. He gave her another and she returned it. He nibbled on her lower lip and she allowed him access. His tongue entered her mouth and he played around with her mouth and his tongue. Her fingers were tangled in his hair and hand on her lower back started to trail down further. Then he stopped.

He leaned against her head as she asked, "What's wrong?"

He answered, trying to put on a smile, "Sorry. I went to far."

"I don't mind," she tried to assure him.

He told her, "I'll be back soon, okay? Go home and please be careful."

She laughed and said, "Don't worry. If I see them, I'll run into the middle of town and lose them. If they catch me, I know that I can count on you to save me."

He nodded and told her, "That's my good kitten." He let her go and kissed her forehead again. He turned around and started walking away so that he teleport only himself to hell. Angels are definitely not allowed in hell.

As soon as he arrived, Tart yelled, "THERE'S THE STUPID, CLUTZY BASTARD!!!!!" Kish covered his ears and looked up to see the angry Tart, flaming red, literally.

Kish pointed at him and said, "We need to teach you some manners. Can't have you swearing at your age."

"Swearing at my age my ass!!" he yelled. "We need to talk about your little life with that pesky angel up there!" He pointed above him to prove it.

Kish looked up and said, "What angel? All I see are rocks." Tart was shaking in anger now.

Sardon put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I'll take care of this." Tart calmed down a bit for Sardon to speak. "Little brother, you should know by now about what that potion is doing to her. I told you not to use it but you recklessly choose that potion straight out of Deep Blue's spell book."

Kish jumped up in the air and back like he was resting with his hand behind his head as he said "I have no idea what you are talking about. That potion is working like a charm."

Tart asked, "Then why aren't you human?" Kish stopped flying after that. He looked at Tart with shocked eyes as Tart said, "Don't you get it? That potion is not making any difference! You're still an agent and you're still that angel's enemy! I thought you hated her for how she was cheating on you with the heaven's prince."

Kish landed on the ground and told him, "It's different now, squirt. She loves _me_, not that weakling." Tart rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Sardon said, "Kish, listen to me! Proof that the potion will kill her is what happened today." The word 'kill' confused Kish greatly.

"Kill?"

Sardon nodded and explained, "Ichigo was trying to fight that potion because it's hurting her. That potion causes the victim to become head over heels for the taste of the first blood she tastes. Usually it's used for agents but you recklessly used it on an angel."

Kish yawned and asked, "And your point is?"

"She's not an agent so the potion is not helping her at all! Haven't you even realized that she adores you but not in the way she's supposed to? She's not herself and you cannot get that part of her from any potion. Soon it will kill her anyway as long as that potion is running through Ichigo's veins. Soon she won't be able to handle the pain much longer." Kish looked up at him at that. "That potion hasn't run throughout her body yet and once it does the pain it will be enough to kill her."

Kish's eyes widen at that, but he still wouldn't give in. He turned around as he said, "To hell with that!"

"Kish!" Kish teleported away before his brothers could stop him. In hell, Sardon gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Damn that stupid agent."

On earth, Kish arrived back in front of his old house; the house that was right next door to Ichigo's old home. A dark glow covered his body and he returned back into a human.

"What the hell does he know?" he asked himself. Then he started walking towards the house. He approached the door and turned the knob. "Ichigo, I'm back!" he called. He entered the house and closed the door behind him. Right after that, Ichigo jumped on him from behind and hugged him.

"Oji-sama!" she cried, happily. Kisshu was paralyzed to the floor as Ichigo tightened her grip on him. "I've missed you so much. I was so lonely in this big house. What took you so long?"

He put on a half smile and told her, "Honey, I haven't been gone for that long. It was only about a few minutes or hours." In hell, time passed differently and the reason why he said hours was because he noticed that it was dark outside.

Ichigo told him, "But it felt like days, oji-sama. Just being separated from you, hurts me more than death will ever do to me." Those words hurt Kisshu in his chest as he tensed up. On his back, he can feel Ichigo snuggling her face closer to him. They reminded a lot of what his brothers told him.

"Ichigo?" he called. He could feel her head lifting up a bit and he asked, "Do you…love me?"

She smiled sweetly and nodded. "Yes, oiji-sama. I love you more than anyone and I will always love you for the rest of my life." Kisshu widen his eyes but they were in pain. He took Ichigo's hands off of him and held onto only one of her hands.

"Oiji-sama?" she called. He didn't answer.

He pulled her hand to fallow him as he started walking. They went up the stairs and into his bedroom. He led her in and closed the door behind him.

Before turning around he said, "Ichigo! There's something we need to talk about." He turned towards her and what he got was a surprised kiss on his lips.

Ichigo broke the kiss before he could react. Her dark brown eyes stared directly int o his golden amber ones as he asked in a sweet tone, "Can we?"

"Uh?"

She didn't answer. She pulled him to the bed and made him sit down. She sat on him with her legs wrapped around his waist and she kissed him again. This time, he kissed her back. Her taste is too irresistible to him. Her arms were around his neck and his hands are on her waist. She licked his bottom lip for permission and he allowed her. He opened his mouth and her tongue went in to explore. His did too. His hands slowly went up from her waist to underneath her shirt and he started rubbing her skin under her bra. She moaned in pure pleasure and that made Kisshu return to his senses.

He stopped the kiss and moved his hands away to push her back. She stared at him in confusion but she was still in her romantic trance. "Ichigo, we can't. We're way too young for this and besides, I know you're not ready." He dropped his hands on her completely.

Ichigo took a moment and then she took off her shirt. He looked up at her in surprise. She tossed her shirt to the floor and then grabbed his face. "Listen to me, oji-sama," she told him. He listened as she continued, "I want to do this. It isn't because of the blood inside of me but of my own desires. I love you, oji-sama. Now and forever." After that, she kissed him again and he gave into the feeling.

'_If that's the truth, then why did you call me 'oji-sama' instead of by my name? Has the blood made you forget the you I love?'_

He fell backwards and she went down with him. Soon she was on top of him and she was kissing him, ever so gently and lovingly. She made him take off his shirt and he held her as their lips barely left one another.

'_I wasn't able to tell nii-san everything. For me, it was all too embarrassing to tell him.'_

His hands were on her waist again and he turned her over so that he was on top of her this time. His lips moved from her lips to her chest. She let out moans in pleasure and it didn't stop him this time. She's enjoying this. Her hands in his hair and she wrapped her arms around his head to keep him there.

'_There was a reason why I gave her my blood. I was jealous about that blondie that was always clinging to her, but I also did it because I knew that he doesn't love her like I do. I didn't want to see her in pain, but also I wanted to stop the pain that I've been feeling since the day I made her found out I'm an agent.'_

He went back to her lips and one of his hands went to her chest. It gently rubbed one of her breasts and she didn't mind. She smiled in between the thousand of kisses he's giving her. In return, she pulled him closer to her body so that her hand could reach to his behind. He let out a small sound of pure pleasure from her touch. It only made her smile more.

'_I love Ichigo since we were kids and I never left her alone, not even for one second. Being away from her is the same as being heartless. She has my heart and the farther away I was, the bigger the pain grew.'_

Using her feet, she undid his pants and pulled it down. He moved his hands from her breast to her skirt and he undid it. It gently fell off her legs without hesitation. After the skirt was off, his hands went to her bra and he unstrapped it. She didn't mind it at all as his lips left again and started kissing her throat.

'_Every time we were apart, I always wondered if maybe, just maybe, she felt the same pain I felt. But it seemed that she didn't since she kept liking one guy to another. So I did research on each guy and every one of them was no good for her. I even threatened them to leave her alone so she won't get hurt. I did everything for her.'_

He was going to go back to her lips but he noticed her tears that are leaking out of her eyes. He stopped immediately and got off her. He sat on the side of the bed and she sat up in confusion.

"Oji-sama?" she called, worried about his sudden change in behavior.

"I'm sorry," he said. She was really confused now until he added, "You're crying. I'm sorry for that." She was silent again.

She crawled to the end of the bed and went under the covers. She took off her bra and threw it to the other end of the room. The small thump it created made Kisshu look up at her again. The covers she's under was up at her chest to hid her breasts and she gave him a pleading look.

"I wasn't crying because I was sad," she told him. She smiled and finished, "I was crying because I was happy that you wanted me." He was really surprised by that comment. She asked him, "This may sound weird coming from a girl, but will you take me? Please?" The eyes she's giving him was too much.

He crawled towards her and lightly kissed her. She kissed him back. He broke the kiss for some air and answered, "Only if you want too."

She nodded and told him, "I want you too."

He placed both of his hands on her shoulder and pulled her in to kiss her red lips again.

'_I love Ichigo, more than anything and all I want back is her love. I believe that my blood inside of her has finally given her to me. That is what I want to believe.'_


	21. Giving Her Back

**A/N: Hello everyone!! I know that this is a big wow since I just updated yesterday, but I had a lot of time on my hands last night and I finished it. Reason why I'm letting this chapter out now is because well it was almost midnight and I have strict parents. I had to be in bed about two hours ago but I made a big risk for your enjoyment!! And also, it was because like I said before, your reviews inspire me to write. I love writing and having you to encourage me really helps.**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs that I use in my stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When you realize that she's not who you want, would you give her back no matter how painful it is for you?_

Ch. 21: Giving Her Back

The first thing Kisshu woke up in the morning was the annoying sun shining in through the window. He fluttered his eyes opened and moaned in annoyance. He turned over and there was nothing. H opened his eyes to see that no one was there. He sat up in confusion and then picked up the covers. Yep, still in boxers.

'_Okay, either I dreamed the whole thing or I'm going crazy,'_ he thought. Then something hit his nose; the delicious smell of bacon and eggs. _'Okay, I didn't imagine it. She's cooking. Wait! Cooking and Ichigo… Is that safe?'_

He jumped out of bed and looked through his closet for some clothes. When he opened it, the first thing he saw was the same outfit he bought the day of Ichigo's parent's funeral; long jeans and a white male tank top. He slowed the process of getting changed and dug into the pockets of his pants. Inside were the black wrist bands.

_Flash Back_

"_How come you get to wear black but I don't? I'm the one in moaning," Ichigo told Kisshu as they were paying for their clothes in the shopping center._

_Kisshu told her, "It's because moaning is not good for you and pink is more of your color, my little strawberry." After he said that, he put his hand under her chin and lifted her head up a little. He was so close with that lustful smile of his._

_Ichigo turned red and slapped his hand away, "Don't get carried away. Just because my name means strawberry doesn't mean that you can tease me about it."_

_End of Flash Back_

Kisshu stared at the wrist bands in deep thought. After a few moments, he put the black wrist bands on and then took the whole outfit out of the closet. He put the pants on and then the shirt. He walked out of his room and fallowed the smell down the stairs to the kitchen. When he looked inside, he saw Ichigo by the stove and she only had a big baggy t-shirt on. Does she even have a bra on?

She turned around and smiled at the sight of him. "Good morning, oji-sama. Did you sleep well?" she asked. Kisshu stared at her for a bit before he answered.

He ruffled his hair in a tired way and answered, "I was until the sun woke me up." To his surprised, she laughed.

She had two plates of eggs, bacon, and rice and she placed them on the table as she said, "Oji-sama, you're so funny."

'_Me funny? Since when did she ever say that?'_ Kisshu wondered.

"Have a seat, oji-sama," she offered. He went to the table and sat down. She presented a plate of food and a cup of…blood?

"Ichigo, where did you get this?" he asked as she sat down.

"Oh, I had to kill a few rats." He nearly fell over with that answer. "Oji-sama, something wrong?"

"No!" he answered, trying to get up. "Nothing is wrong."

"Oh good then!" she cheered, taking a bit of her egg.

'_Good then, uh? She didn't even force me to tell her the real reason.'_ Kisshu cut a piece of egg and took a bite. He gloomed over with the fork still in his mouth. _'It's bland.'_ He looked up at her and she was happily eating away like there was nothing wrong. Kisshu narrowed his eyes and then played with the food.

He stopped and got up. Ichigo noticed that. "Oji-sama? Where are you going?"

"Out," he answered, getting to the door.

She quickly got up and fallowed him. She hugged him from behind to stop him and it worked. He stopped walking as she said, her voice muffled from how close her mouth is to his back, "Please don't leave me, oji-sama. I get so lonely when you're gone."

He let out a sigh as his hand went to hers. He made her let go and he turned around to face her; his hands still grasped hers. He looked in her glossy eyes as he told her, "I won't be gone long. I'll be back soon." One hand went to her face and gently rubbed her cheek.

She asked in a softer tone, "You will." He smiled at her like he was asking her, 'are you being silly?'

He kissed her lips and she kissed him back when she got the chance. He pulled away a little quick and he told her, "I promise."

He let go of her hand and stuck it out like he was presenting an offer to shake his hand. She stared at it for a bit but then grasped it. Kisshu let out a small gasp as she shook it. He looked at her to see her smiling.

"Okay then. Be back soon."

His eyes turned sad all of a sudden and he said, "Sure." He went to the door and put his shoes on. He opened the door and got out without turning back when his shoes were on. He didn't leave right away. He leaned on the door and cursed in his head.

'_Damn brothers.'_

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It's been about ten hours since Kisshu told Ichigo that he'll be back but he's been gone for a long time and something weird was happening to Ichigo. She was on the ground and was grasping her chest as sweat poured down her face. She let out sounds of pain and her eyes were wide and blood shoot from the pain. It felt like her whole chest was on fire and her heart was beating too fast. With every heart beat, the fire spread throughout her body. It set every nerve inside of her on fire and it felt like her blood in her veins is boiling.

'_I…I have to get out… Get out…!'_ that was her thoughts as she got out and started running.

She ran all the way to town but for some reason, it was empty. There were barely any people in Tokyo tonight. Must be because of the serial killer that was killing everyone who was out late at night. She looked from left to right but there was nothing. Then there was laughing.

"You're not afraid of that serial killer, are you?"

"Me? No way! I'll kick his ass before he even comes near my."

"Oh like how you took care of that gangster and gangster princess."

There was more laughing and it got closer. Ichigo looked towards the laughing and coming from the corner is three boys; all three are from her school and even one of them is Masaya. They stopped laughing when they saw her and Masaya was the first to speak.

"Ichigo? What are you…?" he didn't finish because Ichigo started acting weird.

She hunched over like an animal and she opened her mouth to make a hissing noise. In her mother are long, razor sharp fangs. She also had long claws and her hair looked a little messy from the long run she just had. That gave her a bit of a scary touch. All three boys took a step back in fear of her.

She licked her lips and mumbled, "Blood…I want…blood… I want… BLOOD!!"

Then she charged at them. She hit one of them with her shoulder and he went flying. He hit a wall and came falling down to the ground. Then she donkey kicked the other boy and he hit another building. The only one left was Masaya. He looked terrified of her as she got closer and closer to him.

She licked her lips again and said, "Looks like you're the only one left."

He mumbled, "No!...Please…no!" She didn't listen.

Ichigo pounced but he ducked. She stopped when she landed and she donkey kicked him too. He didn't go as far as the first victim of it. He actually hit a pole that was real close. He coughed out blood and that caused a smirk to appear on Ichigo's face. She 'walked' over to him and pulled him over to face her. He barely opened his eyes as she licked her lips again.

"Dinner is served." Then she bent down to his neck.

"Ichigo!!"

She stopped and looked behind her to see some old friends. Four Mew Mews all transformed and horrified on what has become of their friend. All they could do was stare in complete horror of what she has become.

She got off of Masaya and walked around like a tiger. "What's wrong? Surprised to see me?" she asked.

Lettuce mumbled, "I-Ichigo-s-san… W-What happened?"

Ichigo's head tilt to the side and answered, "What happened? Nothing happened really. Just me living the life with my prince."

Then Zakuro got so angry that she asked, "What in the world did that agent do to you?" Just as she said it, Ichigo rushed up to her and punched her stomach. Zakuro gagged out as she went flying about ten feet away from where she was standing. Zakuro helped herself up a bit as blood dripped down from the corner of her lips.

Ichigo looked up, angry as all hell as she yelled, "Don't you ever call him that, you got that?!"

Mint told her, "Ichigo, please stop this!" Ichigo looked at her from the corner of her eyes as Mint finished, "We're your friends, Ichigo! Don't you remember us?"

Ichigo growled and got into attack mode as she glared at Mint. "You're the one who tried to steal him away from me." Mint's eyes widen at that as Ichigo got her bloodthirsty smirked back. "Don't worry. It will all be over soon after I suck every last drop of blood from your dead body." Mint started shaking as Pudding stood in front of her.

"You have to go through me first, na no da!" she declared, trying to be brave.

Ichigo shrugged her shoulders and said, "Fine by me." Then she charged.

In reaction, Pudding summoned her rings and called, "Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!!" A giant yellow jello appeared and tried to capture Ichigo but she got out of the way. "Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!!" Then she kept chanting that to capture Ichigo but she kept moving. Then Pudding got tired out real fast after about the first twenty times of saying the same attack.

Ichigo took that chance to hit Pudding with her shoulder and she went flying towards Zakuro. By then, Zakuro was already standing, barely and when Pudding hit her, they both landed on the ground, unable to get up again. Ichigo looked at Mint again but this time, Lettuce stepped in.

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!!" she called. Slices of water went towards Ichigo but unlike Pudding's jello, Ichigo could easily dodge them and get closer to Mint and Lettuce. After a few dodging, Ichigo appeared in front of Lettuce and punched her. Lettuce went flying to a building and laid in the crumbles of fallen rock from the building.

Before Mint could react or even call out the names of her fallen comrades, Ichigo was already on top of her. They landed on the ground and Ichigo looked really victorious and hungry. Mint just looked scared. Ichigo asked, "What's wrong? Can't attack me as they could? Pathetic." She opened her mouth and just looking at her fangs was causing Mint to started wishing that she won't die now. Wish granted.

"Ichigo!!"

Ichigo stopped completely and her hungry expression turned to a blank one. From the sound of his voice, all mew mews looked behind Ichigo to see Kisshu trying to breathe. He apparently was running as fast as he could just to get here. How he knew about where Ichigo was is something that she didn't care right now.

Her fangs shrunk as well as her claws as she smiled and cheered, "Oji-sama!" She got off Mint and started running to him. He offered her arms to her and she jumped right in. Her arms were around his neck and his were around her waist. From the force of her running, they twirled a bit but stopped after the second turn.

Ichigo nuzzled into his chest and said, "Oh, oji-sama. I was so lonely without you. I thought you were never coming back." Kisshu tightened his grip on her and bit his lower lip. Those with common sense saw that and Mint defiantly saw that when she sat up.

Kisshu told her, "I'm sorry, Ichigo."

She pulled away and then kissed his lips. He didn't close his eyes or kissed her back; that was weird. She broke the kiss and told him, "It's alright, oji-sama. You're here now and I'm happy you are."

He stared at her with sad eyes and then pulled her into another hug. For once, Ichigo noticed that something was wrong. As her hands were on his chest and his arms were wrapped around her, the hug felt desperate and unwilling. Like he didn't want to let her go but he has too. She didn't say anything because he did.

"I didn't mean that," he told her. "I'm sorry for what is going on with you. I'm so sorry."

"Oji-sama?"

Then she felt two piercing pains on her neck. Her eyes widen in pain as Kisshu pulled her closer; his fangs piercing her neck but no blood. The angels were scared to death of what was happening but all they could do was watch.

Ichigo breathed out, "Oji-sama, please….stop." Then she fainted. But he still didn't stop sucking out whatever it was he is sucking out.

Minutes later, he did stop and licked her neck. Then he leaned over her body and spit out something pink and red mixed together; his blood and the potion. After a few breathes, he looked at Ichigo's face and then placed her down on the ground. He looked at her face again and then kissed her forehead. His eyes looked so sad as he lightly petted her head.

'_It's better this way,_' he thought. He looked up at the other mew mews and they all saw his sad and lonely expression; like seeing what he did just now wasn't surprising enough.

He told them, "Take good care of her." Then he teleported away in a black orb.

"Ichigo!!" Mint called, getting up. Since Kisshu is gone, it's okay to approach her. She ran to her side as the others painfully got up. They ran to Ichigo's side to and they all crowded around her in a worried matter, wondering if she's going to be okay.


	22. I Hate You

**A/N: Hello everyone!! Well isn't this good. I've been on a role with so many chapters being released in such a short time. But I must warn you all that for me, tomorrow is Monday and that means, back to school!! So please don't get used to so many chapters being released. I also have another announcement that soon, in this story, there are going to be some chapters that are going to be long again. I don't know when but I'm just letting you know that soon, there will be.**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. Just because I won't let out as much as I am now, doesn't mean that your reviews don't inspire me. They do and I promise to update as soon as I can. Thank you and please enjoy!!**

**P.S.: This one might not be good, mentally wise.**

_When something bad happens and you are so angry that you could just kill, would you say the three words that no one wants to hear? Not even the one who caused you to be so angry?_

Ch. 22: I Hate You

"Nii-sama, what are you doing?" Tart asked, hovering over his older brother's shoulder. Sardon seemed like he didn't mind that much as he looked up to face him from the corner of his eyes.

"Just trying to figure a new battle plan," he answered. Then he asked, "Where's the idiot?"

Tart leaned back like he was on a bed with his hands behind his head as he answered, "Probably still sulking in his room."

"How's sulking?" Kish asked, appearing right above him.

"Aah!" Tart yelled out in surprise. He was takne by surprise so he ended up falling to the ground. He landed with a _thump_ as Kish just watched with a blank expression.

Sardon asked, "Is the funeral over?"

"Ha! Funny," Kish answered in a sarcastic tone. "I just came out to see how my dear brothers are up to. Is that so bad?"

Tart sat up and shook his head to shake off the dizziness. He crossed his legs and arms and asked, "So you're not all upset that you let that angel go?"

"Huh?"

Sardon explained, "We know that you suck the potion and your own blood out of that angel. After you slept with her." Kish fell over when he mentioned that.

Tart narrowed his eyes and said, "I hope she's not pregnant or she'll kill you when she finds out. She was ready to hate you anyway before the potion and finding out that she's going to have a baby is a-" He didn't finish because Kish quickly got up and covered his mouth. He looked desperate and shaky.

"I swear if you say another word, I'll rip your tongue right out of your mouth and then break every tooth in your mouth," he threatened.

Tart pushed him away and said, "Oh, scary! You want me to plan out my funeral and give you the bill?"

"Why you little…!"

"Kish!" Sardon called, in a hard tone. Kish looked up at him as he said, "As your guardian, I am very disappointed in you. You're only thirteen and you already did it. Next time keep it in your pants."

Kish put his hands up, his palms in view as he said, "Hey, I didn't want to do it because I know that we are way too young and that she wasn't ready but she…" Kish looked behind him to try and think of a reason but he saw Tart with a clipboard and a pencil. He seems to be writing something. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just filling out your funeral form. You want to be cremated or do you want a coffin?" he asked, looking up from the clipboard.

Kish grabbed the clipboard and then ripped it up. He thought, _'These guys…are unbelievable!'_ "Look you two, do you want me to say that I take full responsibility for it? Fine! I'll take it so can we please drop it?"

"As long as you take responsibility for it," Sardon ended. Kish let out a breather but Tart still had one brow up.

"Well you do realize that she's going to be angry and might never like you again."

"That's not true," he told him. "Sure she'll be angry but we can live with this. After all, that potion only works when there is even a small amount of love for the owner of the blood. She'll forgive me because I know that she cares. After all, that's what angels do anyway. Forgive and forget."

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"Are you sure that you don't remember a thing?" Ryou asked for about the tenth time.

Ichigo lifted up her hands in defense and answered, "I don't remember, okay? All I remember is being in that area, Kish appearing and then blank! So can you guys please tell me what the heck happened!!"

When the angels got her back, the first thing they did was carry her back to the café and Ryou and Keiichiro did a quick analysis on her. The next day, she woke up in her room and she had a big headache. They asked her on what happened and all she said that all she remembers is Kish appearing where she went to vent after she yelled at Mint. Mint was in the same room when she said that the first time. She left the room right after that because she thought that her presence will only upset Ichigo more. Ryou noticed her leave and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. Who knows how she's feeling right now. Then he started asking her about ten more times of the same question and it was still the same answer.

Lettuce stepped forward and said, "Ichigo-san, after what happened between you and Kish, we brought you here when he left. They did tests but nothing exactly showed up."

Pudding added, "Then you woke up and Mint onee-chan started apologizing because she took the blame for what happened to you. Then you said it was okay and then you were going to leave. Ryou onii-chan stopped you but a black orb appeared and you were going to leave through it. He tried to stop you but a black blast appeared out of the portal and shot him away."

Zakuro finished, "Then the portal disappeared and you ran for the exit. You were so fast that by the time we got out, you were thirty feet away in Kish's arms. You were hugging him and you told him that you love him. Then you left like you were on your way to your honey moon." Ichigo froze up like stone after Zakuro said that.

"N-N-N…NO WAY!!!!" she yelled in complete shock. Everyone had to cover their ears when she yelled that. Mint heard it too but she took it as a way of getting out of her trance of regret. She heard Ichigo vent, "How could I just run up to him and then say that I love him?!! I hate the guy!! He's nothing more than a backstabbing, cheating, low life creature that deserves to rot in hell!! Hell, he can take his bride too while he's at it!!" Mint flinched at that. Everyone knew who she meant by bride.

Ryou said, "Now that's enough. We know that you don't mean it. Especially since she's one of your comrades."

"Ah, Ryou," she called with a bored expression. "Does it look like I care?" Mint was on the verge of tears from hearing that and the others look like they didn't know what to say to back her up.

Then, "Agent alert! Agent alert!" Everyone looked at Masha in surprise as he continued to say, "Middle of Tokyo!! Middle of Tokyo!! Kirema anima attack! Kirema anima attack!!"

Ichigo asked, "Ryou, where's my blotch?" Ryou looked taken back by that question since she just suddenly asked that. But he went to his pocket and took it out.

"Here," he offered. She grabbed it and ran to the door.

When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was Mint leaning on the wall next to the door. Mint looked surprised to see her but Ichigo glared at her.

"You can stay here since I'm sure that you don't want to hurt your agent," she told her.

Mint eyes widen but she shook her head and said, "No, I'll come."

"Then get out of my way." With that, Ichigo ran right passed her and Mint was really close to tears now.

Lettuce saw her and mumbled, "Mint-san…"

Zakuro said, "This is no time to be depressed. We need to get to town." Mint nodded and wiped away some tears that were ready to fall out. Then she ran after Ichigo as well as the others did.

In the room, Keiichiro asked, "Are you sure that it's okay to let her go?"

Ryou asked, "So you noticed too?"

Keiichiro sadly nodded and answered, "Of course I did. Ichigo-san's blotched stopped glowing since two days ago."

Meanwhile, Ichigo was running towards the middle of town with Masha right next to her. He must have left the café soon after the girls did but unlike them, he was faster than them. They were behind Ichigo by at least a few feet. When they reached the middle of town, there was nothing there. Just deserted streets and silence.

They stopped for a breather and Pudding asked, "Where are they?"

Ichigo asked Masha, "Masha, are you sure that they're here?"

Masha responded, "Masha sure! Masha sure!"

"Okay, you're right. That is annoying," they heard. That sounded like Tart.

Split second later, a giant mole kirema anima appeared from under the ground. The angels jumped back in surprise of that. Then two more came up and they got a good look of them. They looked like moles alright with a spiral metal digger for a nose and metal sharp claws on their feet. They looked like they were smiling at the angels. Then three portals appeared, all designed specially made for each agent.

Kish greeted, "Hi, Ichigo! How are you?"

A vein pulsed on her head as she yelled, "Angry but if you come down here, I can change that!!"

He disappeared and reappeared behind her and asked, "Better?"

She quickly turned around to kick him but he flew backwards to get away. "How about standing still so I can kick your ass?!" He places his index finger on her lips and he was really close to her face.

"Bad words shouldn't escape those lips of yours. It gives you a bad reputation."

She pushed him away and asked, "Oh like yours, gangster?!"

"Kish, enough!" Tart ordered. Kish looked up at him annoyed as he said, "We're here to destroy them, not make out with them." Kish flew up and both him and Sardon punched the top of his head for that.

They told him, "Some things are better left unsaid."

Tart looked at Sardon and said, "I was talking to him, nii-sama. Or did you do something too?"

"I did nothing of the sort!"

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Zakuro took out her blotch and cried, "Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!" There was a purple light and all three agents had to cover their eyes to protect themselves. The light also reminded that they're here to fight, not watch family life.

"Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!!"

There was a blue light, then a green, and a yellow but no pink. Kish noticed that from the corner of his eyes. Ichigo looked horrified and confused as she looked at her blotch. That was when she noticed that her blotch wasn't giving off the golden glow that it used too.

She mumbled, "Wha…What happened?"

"Ichigo?" Kish mumbled, but she didn't hear him. When the lights faded, the agents were attacked.

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!" A purple spear shot out at them but they flew away before it got them. It even missed one of the moles.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!" Mint yelled, letting go of her arrow. It went for a mole, but it being smart started its nose. It spin and spin so that when the arrow hit it, it went for a building instead.

Lettuce decided to give it a try. "Ribbon Lettuce Rush!!" Her water slices when for one and it was hit. It turned white and disappeared after being hit.

Pudding summoned her rings and yelled out, "Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!!" Her orange jello went for another mole and caught it. But it started its nose too and freed itself after he was captured. Jello pieces went flying and it caused Mint to see that Ichigo was still untransformed and she was staring at her blotch.

"Ichigo! Transform!" she yelled. Everyone looked at her, especially one of the moles.

Ichigo shook her head and mumbled, not caring who yelled at her, "I…I can't…I don't…" Then a mole decided to attack. His nose went at full speed and went underground. It charged at her but the angels couldn't stop it.

"Ichigo!" they yelled.

She looked up and she saw the lump in the ground coming towards her. What surprised her for a moment was that Kish appeared in front and yelled, "Retreat!" The lumped stopped and Kish turned around towards Ichigo. He asked, "You alright?"

Getting out of her shocked trance, she punched him on the top of his head and yelled, "You asshole, what did you do?"

He looked at her in confusion and asked, "What did _I_ do? Oh that's a nice way to thank someone who just saved you life!"

"Well I don't thank people who not only tried to kill me but also kidnapped me! What the hell did you do to me?" After she asked that, Sardon and Tart figured it out.

Kish didn't. "I didn't do anything! You were the one who did things to me!"

"The hell you mean by that?!"

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!"

Both Kish and Ichigo turned towards the whip just in time as it not only hit the lump where the mole is but also tried to hit Kish. He got out of the way but the whip hit the building and rocks started to fall.

"Ichigo!"

Then Mint used her super speed of flying to get Ichigo out of the way before the giant rocks came and smashed her down. When they were out of the way, Ichigo looked at Mint and told her, "Don't you start expecting any thanks from me."

Mint flinched back from that. She turned around and aimed her arrow at the last mole. "Ribbon Mint Echo!" Her arrow went flying and it hit the target perfectly. The mole glowed white and disappeared. The agents covered their eyes again and clench their teeth in frustration.

"We'll be back again!" Sardon told them. Then they teleported away the same way they entered. After they left, all eyes were on Ichigo.

Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro rushed up to her side. Lettuce asked, "Ichigo-san! What happened?"

She shook her head and answered, "I…I don't know." She looked at her blotch and it was still dull.

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Back at the café, with all four mew mews human, Ryou held Ichigo's blotch and stared at it. Then after a bit he sighed and handed it back to her. Ichigo desperately asked, "Well?"

"It seems that you can't transform anymore," he told her. That was a shocker and kiss of death to all mew mews in there.

Ichigo asked, "But you guys can fix it, right? You can light up the blotch so that I can transform, right?"

Keiichiro looked sad as Ryou ruffled his hair. "Ichigo, we can't fix it. Only you can but maybe it's already too late."

She asked, "What do you mean?"

"Ichigo-san, that blotch stopped glowing two days ago and you were gone for about three weeks," Keiichiro told her.

She said, "I still don't get you two."

Ryou let out a sigh and confessed, "Ichigo, the only way for an angel to stop using its powers are when it's purity is gone. You were alone with an agent for three weeks and only two days ago the blotch stopped glowing. If you ask me, that's a lot of time for you to have lost your purity." Ichigo's eyes widen in both shock and anger.

Pudding asked, "So that means that Ichigo onee-chan and Kish probably…" She didn't want to finish it.

Ryou finished, "It doesn't affect the agent since he's already full of sin. Another one is the same as killing another human."

"I don't believe it!!" Mint yelled. All eyes were on her as she yelled, "There is no way that Kisshu would ever take advantage of her!"

Ichigo let out a laugh and said, "Yeah sure, let the lover of the agent to stand up for him! I'm surprise that you're not burning with furry since he got me laid instead of you."

Mint tried to ignore that as she said, "You two are way too young and Kisshu's is too responsible then what you gave him credit for!"

"That guy is a creep!" Ichigo yelled, turning completely towards her. "I bet there was a reason why he let me go! He got what he wanted and then just discarded me like a used tissue!" She stopped when she suddenly felt something roll down her face. Everyone was surprise to see it too.

Her shaking hand touched her face and she felt the cold tears on her skin. _'I'm…crying? What the…hell…'_ She turned around and then started stomping away.

"Ichigo-san?" Lettuce called.

She told them, "I'm getting some air!" When she closed the door, she slammed it. It might be best to let her go. She's a boiling tea pot that really needs to let some steam out.

She marched out of the café and into the forest. It was cloudy but she didn't care. She was too angry and confused to care. She touched her face again and her tears dried up on her skin. She stopped in front of a tree and grabbed a branch. She broke it off and then threw it as far as she can. She felt so weak that she turned around and collapsed to the ground; her back to the tree.

_Sob_

_Sob_

_Sob_

Endless tears started leaking out of her eyes and they rolled down her face. She went from leaning on a tree to bringing her knees up to her chest and leaning on them. Her arms hugged her legs to her as she continued to cry.

'_Why?'_ she wondered. _'Why did he do this to me? Why… Kisshu…!'_

"Ichigo!"

She flinched at his voice but she didn't look up right away. She lifted her head up to the side to see him from the corner of her eye. She saw him land on the ground in his agent form and he walked towards her. He kneeled down to her level and his eyes looked worried.

He asked, "Hey are you okay? What happened back there? You didn't transform." His hand was going to the top of her head, but Ichigo reacted fast enough to slap it away before he touched her.

She suddenly stood up and yelled, "It's your fault!"

He fell back wards from her sudden stood up and he asked, "What?"

"Don't give me that stupid look, agent! It's your fault that I can't transform anymore! It's your fault that I can't remember a god damn thing about what happened during those three weeks! It's your fault that before I saw you and Mint, I felt terrible pain in my chest! It's your fault that mom and dad are gone! It's your fault that Dren is gone! Everything that made my life shit is your fault!" she yelled. His eyes were wide with surprise as he could tell from her eyes that she's letting everything inside of her out. Every anger and every…hatred. "You want to hear those three words that you so desperately wanted to hear? Fine! I'll tell you!"

_Ba-da-dum_

_Ba-da-dum, ba-da-dum_

_Ba-da-dum, ba-da-dum, ba-da-dum_

"Kish, I hate you!!"

_Slash_


	23. Questions

**A/N: Hello everyone!! I know that I said that it will take me a while before I let another chapter out, but I still had time on Sunday night so I made good use of it. But it was a late Sunday night which is why I'm letting this out on a Monday. I will do anything for my fan's enjoyment!**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and please keep them up to help inspire me. Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When the people you care about have done strange things, why do you end up with so many questions of concern?_

Ch. 23: Questions

"How did this happen?" Keiichiro asked Ichigo. Keiichiro took a cotton ball and put hydrogen peroxide on it. Then he dabbed the ball on Ichigo's arm and she flinched in pain

"Ow!" she cried.

He told her, "Sorry." The other mew mews were starting to get restless as they continued to see that the blood of their friend is spilled.

Ryou tried to calm down as he ordered her, "Just tell us what happened." Ichigo tried to calm down from the pain and she looked around the room. All of them were there, staring at her anxiously.

She answered, "Well during the middle of my little anger problem, Kish showed up. He only asked me of if I was okay and I snapped. I told him that it's his fault I can't turn into an angel anymore and that…I hate him. He was frozen right after that. He started leaning over in some kind of pain. I thought he was joking, but he didn't move for a bit and out of the blue, he clawed me."

The mew mews looked back at Ichigo's arm and stared at the half inch deep claw marks she has on her arm. It looked mean, but the bleeding stopped thanks to Keiichiro and now Ichigo's suffering with the pain of hydrogen peroxide.

Lettuce asked, "What happened after that?"

"He looked almost like how he did at first but more vicious and more…hateful. I saw the all of those emotions in his eyes when he clawed. After he clawed me, he was going to do it again but the sunlight appeared and hit him. He cried out in pain and just retreated back into the shadows." Worry and confusion filled the room. Ichigo took a moment and asked Ryou, "Is he alright? What would make him like this?"

Ryou let out a sigh and ruffled his hair. "I don't know. Keiichiro and I will look into it. See if maybe something like this happened before."

"I thought you said that this is the first time that the devil used humans?"

"I thought you said that you hated Kish."

Ichigo was dumbstruck by that. All eyes were on her again. She looked the other way and said, "I do! I'm just saying it for someone else's sake!" Mint felt really hurt from that. Finally Keiichiro was done by wrapping Ichigo's arm and she pulled the sleeve of her shirt down to cover most of it.

"Well the only thing we can do now is for you guys to go home," Ryou told the mew mews. "Keiichiro will research tonight. You guys go home and get a good night sleep. You staying again, Lettuce? Pudding?" Like last time, they nodded. But instead of depression, they seem to be more concern for their friend's injury. Ryou saw that.

After that, both Mint and Zakuro left to go home. Mint wanted to tell Ichigo sorry but she'll probably just get yelled at again. Zakuro could see the pain that Mint was going through but all she can do is just hope and pray that things will get better real soon. Lettuce, Pudding, Ichigo, Keiichiro, and Ryou had dinner as usual but things were really quiet. Everyone was wondering about what happened but the only one who seemed to be more concern about it was Ichigo. She could remember every detail about what happened after what she said.

_Flash Back_

"_Kish, I hate you!"_

_Kish's eyes widen after that. Her words were repeating in her head and then there was an even bigger pain than when he was first an agent. It was released in his chest and head and he turned over in pain. Ichigo's once angry, hateful face went to confused hatred after she saw him. He let out a few moans in pain as he curled up in a ball and continued moaning._

"_Kish?" she called; no response. Some of her anger came back as she told him, "Don't start that! I know it's a trick!" Still no response. Instead, she saw something that only made her shock._

_His eyes were turning from golden amber to red and it went back to golden amber then red. Sweat was pouring down his face, and then he screamed._

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" he let out. She stepped back from the sudden scream, but her shock went to pitied and sad._

"_Kish?" She kneeled down to his level and she saw the pain filled face he was making. It actually started to scare her. "Kisshu?" Then his eyes opened wide and they were red. She gasped in surprise and in a split second, his claws met her flesh._

"_Aaah!" she let out in pain as she fell back. She looked at her arm and she has five slashes, bleeding on her arm. She placed her other side's hand on it and squeezed to try and stop the bleeding. She looked up and Kish was standing over her and he looked completely different._

_His eyes were red, that was for a fact but they were giving her a hateful and angry look. His fangs looked way longer than before as he bared his teeth to her. His claws are sharper and longer than before, considering that one of them is covered with her blood. She was shocked by this sudden change in him and her body was shaking. Not long ago, it was her in Kish's position and he in her position. Now it's the other way around. It actually scared her. Kish looks like…a ferocious crazy animal who hasn't eaten for days._

"_Kisshu?" she mumbled, her voice small and frail._

_He raised up his bloody claw and got ready to claw her again. Her body shook more at that. He only said one word to her._

"_Die."_

_Then the sun came up. He looked up at the sudden change and then flinched in pain. That caught her attention. He tried to cover himself from the light and he took a few steps back. Then from what Ichigo could see, steam or smoke was being released from his body as the light continued to shine on him. He got enough. He quickly teleported away in his black orb and left Ichigo to bleed._

'_**Kisshu? Wh…What…happened?'**_

_End of Flash Back_

That memory was confusing her as she continued to replay it in her head. But at the same time, the memory also scared her and she didn't want it to replay it. After dinner, Ichigo was the first to enter the baths. She might take a while since she has a wound on her arm so Lettuce thought of something.

Lettuce told Pudding, "I'm going to go for a small walk. Don't tell anyone okay?"

Pudding smiled and told her, "Okay, Lettuce onee-chan! Be careful, na no da!" Lettuce smiled at her and then went out.

She got a jacket just in case and left the café. The sun was still up but only half of it at least. It was a beautiful sunset to Lettuce when she stopped to look at it after being about five yards away from the café.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

She looked up further on her path and she saw, not Sardon but Pai leaning on a tree staring at the same sunset.

She couldn't believe it that she would ever see him human again as she asked, "Pai-sensei? Why are you here?"

He looked at her and started walking towards her as well. She only took two steps back to be careful but he stopped right in front of her. His eyes were still hard and cold but Lettuce was still a bit hopeful that she would see something else in them.

When he stopped, he suddenly grabbed her wrist. It was tight and it caused Lettuce to flinch in pain. "I'm here to take your purity."

"Uh?"

Before she knew it, he kissed her. Her eyes widen in surprise of that as she could feel him pushing her. She walked backwards till her back hit a tree and he forcefully deepened the kiss. Then for some reason, Lettuce felt really weak. She didn't put up any resistance as his lips stopped touching hers and he leaned in to her neck.

"From what we observed, if an angel loses her purity then she can't transform anymore. If there are less of you, then it will be easier to kill humans," he explained. She still didn't put up any resistance as she felt his lips kiss her neck.

Then one hand went from her wrist to her arm and it slowly rise up. Then it went down from her shoulder to her chest. She did flinch back in his touch as his hands touched her breast. His other hand that still grasped her wrist still held it there as his lips then trailed down to her upper chest and then in between her breasts.

'_No!'_ she thought. _'I don't…'_ Her body still refused to give and resistance. She didn't felt anything go down her throat when he kissed her so he must have done something to make her weak. _'No!'_

Then he stopped. His eyes widen in surprise as he looked up at her face. Her teeth bit her lower lip and her eyes were closed as tears were rolling down her face like white marbles. He sat straight up, his eyes still shocked to see her crying. She noticed that he stopped so she stopped biting her lip and she opened her eyes. Then she got another kiss but this was different. This one was more gentle and soft; like a real kiss. She was weak anyway, but it wasn't the reason why she closed her eyes and kissed him back. His hand that used to clench her wrist so tightly now was softly holding her wrist.

When he broke it, she felt like she was still in a daze as his forehead leaned against hers. His hand released her wrist and went to the side of her face. It felt so wonderful to feel him touching her so gently, a lot like how they used to be.

He said, "I'm sorry." Then he kissed her forehead. He walked away, leaving Lettuce to still be in a daze. After a bit, her eyes widen in what happened and she quickly looked towards his way.

"Pai-sensei!"

To him, his eyes widen and he quickly got out of there by teleportation. But it was so sudden that it caused some air currents. She brought her arms up in defense and protected herself from the wind. When it was done, she looked up and he was long gone.

Her eyes soften as she mumbled, "Pai-sensei…" She looked down and lightly touched her lips. They were still warm.

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"Aaah, this feels so good, na no da!" Pudding let out, in the nice hot water. "I hope that Lettuce onee-chan comes back soon, na no da. It's almost sun down, na no da." She let out a sigh and she was in another one of those thinking dazes.

A lot of things happened since she became her Mew Mew. Besides that she lost her siblings and a friend, she ends up with new friends and one of them is terribly hurt; mentally and physically. Then she has another who is suffering mental pain because she can't tell the other what an agent told her to keep a secret. One friend is sad even though she tries to hide it with a soft smile and she has another who… Actually, she doesn't know much about her problems. Does she even have any problems?

"Oh well, na no da!" she let out. She got up and said, "It's time to get ready for bed, na no da!"

She unplugged the tub and allowed the water to go down the drain. She opened the shower curtain but she saw something that was surprising. In the steam, she saw Taruto sitting on a closed toilet and he looked like he was thinking. Her sudden noise of coming out made him look at her and his face turned really red. Hers did as she suddenly ducked and put the plug back on to keep some of the water.

"Taru-Taru! Don't you know how to knock, na no da?" she asked him, a bit angry.

He turned away and let out a small laugh. "After everything that happened, you still call me that same ridiculous nickname," he said, with a small smile on his face. She saw that and it shocked her. He looked down with the same smile and he asked, "How long has it been? Two…Three months?"

She only answered, "I don't know, na no da. Maybe, na no da."

He let out another laugh and asked, "Do you remember the first time we met?" She looked up at him in surprise as he let out another laugh. "I used to think that you were the weirdest, annoying girl I ever met. You always said that at the end of every second and it annoyed the heck out of me. Then when I saw you perform in the park, I will admit that you were really good and you were so cheery. I fallowed you home and saw your little siblings that you had to take care of. I guess that was when I thought of you differently." Pudding's whole face turned cherry red as Taruto looked at her, still with the smile on his face. "Next day, I gave you a tip and told you that I understood what you're going through. Then you told me that we should be friends and you gave me that stupid nickname. I was so annoyed by it because it sounded ridiculous. Then when I was upset, you did a show for me so that I could feel better. Then when you almost made a mistake, I helped you by passing you your next item. Then you decided that we should work together after thanking me with a candy drop. It was stupid but who knew that it would have turned out to be so fun. I would give anything just to go back to those times."

Pudding's expression soften as she asked, "Taru-Taru, why are you here, na no da?"

He lost his smile after that, then answered, "I was ordered to rape you." Pudding was surprised to hear that.

So surprised that she told him, "Try if you dare, na no da!" He looked at her confused and he saw that funny determined face on her. "But be warned that I am skilled in the ancient ways of the Fong family, na no da!" She even raised her hands up in a 'ready to fight' way. Moments later, Taruto started laughing. All she did was stare.

"You're going to fight…" he continued laughing before he could finish. She got mad.

She told him, "If you try, I will, na no da!"

"When you're naked?" he asked, laughing again. She turned red from that. He was right on that. Then things started to quiet down. He tossed her a towel and told her, "Don't worry, I won't." She caught the towel and looked at him, confused as he turned around to give her some privacy. "While you were happily in there, I was debating on whether I should or shouldn't."

She stood up and wrapped the towel around herself. She got out and asked, "Why were you debating, na no da? Were you really going to rape me if you didn't think, na no da?" He lost his smile and narrowed his eyes.

He nodded and answered, "The reason why I was going to is because it's my duty to defeat you and kill the humans but when I heard your voice, I thought about it for a bit. I actually don't want to hurt you, Pudding-chan."

Pudding's eyes widen in surprise as she rushed up to him. She smiled at him and said, "Then quit, na no da! I don't want to fight you either, na no da." He looked at her and his eyes were wide.

"You don't?"

She shook her head and told him, "Why would I want to fight you, Taru-Taru? We're friends, na no da!" His eyes narrowed in a sweet way. His hand went under her chin and lifts her head up a bit. She didn't stop him as he leaned closer to her.

Their noses were touching when he said, "This smile is what I want to protect." Then he closed his eyes and leaned even closer to her. Her eyes widen but he stopped when his lips were only a centimeter away from her lips. "But I can't." He backed away and told her, "I'll see you around, Pudding-chan." Then he teleported away with his black leaves. She covered her face to protect it but when it was done, she looked again to see no Taruto.

She opened the door and she saw Lettuce at the end of the hall. "Oh, Lettuce onee-chan! Did you enjoy your walk, na no da?" she asked.

Lettuce looked up at her and nodded. "Is the bath's open?" Pudding nodded her head and went to her room she shared with Lettuce and Ichigo.

Lettuce put her hand on the knob but she looked up when she noticed someone. She saw Ryou and he had on a stern look. She nodded and opened the door to enter the baths. Her heart was pounding from his look. It was almost like he knew what happened between her and Pai.

After Lettuce and Pudding got ready for bed, they went to bed with Ichigo facing the wall, Pudding facing the ceiling, and Lettuce facing the open space between the bed and the wall. Questions were running through their head, all concerning about the agents.

Ichigo wondered, _'Why did Kisshu act like that? Why did he attack me? He never attacked me like that before so why is he doing that now?'_

Lettuce wondered, _'Why did Pai-sensei stop and then kissed me? If he really wanted to defeat us, then he would have continued but he stopped. Why?'_

'_Taru-Taru decided not to rape me because he doesn't want to fight me. But before he tried to kiss me, he stopped and said that he can't. What did he mean by that?'_ Pudding thought, staring at the ceiling.

But all three wondered, _'What is going on with him?'_


	24. Zakuro’s Choice: Talk or Leave

**A/N: Hello everyone!! Sorry about how long it took for me to just write this but as you can see it's pretty long. I don't want to ruin anything but just to let you know, this is a chapter that has Mew Aqua involved and we know how long the previous chapter was. I think these two are about the same length. Anyway…**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs that I use in my stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming!! How about I make you a deal? If you give me six reviews in the next three days from this story then I'll release two chapters from both stories in one day. I promise you that I will! The record for this story is about 74. Give me 80 and I will give you the chapters!**

**Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_Won't you get a little suspicious when you know a lot about your comrades, all but one?_

Ch. 24: Zakuro's Choice: Talk or Leave

_Ding, dong_

_Ding, dong_

_Ding, dong_

The church bells chimed throughout the church; signaling all who were inside that it's noon time. The only one inside is a woman, praying in front of the great wooden cross: Zakuro. As the sunlight shined through the newly repaired windows, Zakuro stood on her knees in front of the cross and prayed; her eyes closed and held together in a prayer. When the bells stopped, she took another moment to finish up her prayer. When she was finished, she opened her eyes and looked up. With the way that the sunlight shined in, the cross in front of her looked more brilliant than any wooden sculpture. She stood up and turned around to walk away.

_Onee-san!_

She stopped only about six feet away where she was kneeling and turned around. Her face was shocked as she looked up at the cross again. When there was nothing there, her eyes narrowed in a sad way. She faced the ground and mentally shook it off.

She told the cross, "Goodbye." Then she turned around and then really walked out of the church. She closed the door behind her and leaned on them for a brief moment.

'_Three months it's been. Heh, it's amazing to me how distracted I can get when I joined the group that changed my life and…his.'_

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

"Uh?" She went to her pocket and took out her ringing blotch. She answered, "Yes?"

"_Zakuro-san,"_ Keiichiro answered. _"Agents appeared at the bay! Everyone else already left and Ichigo-san's missing!"_

'_Ichigo…'_ Zakuro cursed in her mind. She nodded and answered, "I'll be right there!" She put her blotch back in her pocket and started running. Sure it will take a while to get there, but she just has to get there.

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"For the last time!!" Tart yelled. He formed another red blast in his hands and formed it big. When he launched it, the mew mews were able to get out of the way but the ground was turned into a ditch; a big one. He was literally glowing red and his eyes looked fierce. "WHERE…IS…HE…?" he asked, scarier. Even Pudding was surprised.

Mint yelled, "For the last time, who?!"

Tart yelled, "You sure as hell know who we're talking about!!"

Sardon appeared next to him and told him, "They know nothing."

"What?!"

"We need to find the last human he was with." He looked at the Mew Mews and asked, "Where is Ichigo Momomiya?!"

Lettuce's eyes widen after that question. She knows and apparently, Ichigo is still having trouble as she hid behind a building.

She leaned over to get a better look and thought, _'Here I am spying the fight in case of any new information to help us save the world and the agents are going crazy with finding somebody. Now they want me? Something is seriously wrong here!'_

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo looked towards the alley she was facing and she saw Zakuro running towards her, nearly out of breath.

"Zakuro!" she called surprised to see her. Tart heard her.

He got another blast forming and declared, "There!" He launched it and it destroyed the building. When the remains collapsed, both Ichigo and Zakuro were in eyes view of them. Tart only growled more; mostly at Ichigo. He flew towards them, too fast for Sardon to stop. He crashed right into Ichigo and soon she was on the floor and he was on top of her. His fists clench her shirt and he lifted her up.

"Where is he?!" he asked.

She asked, "He who?"

"Don't you dare lie to me, you old hag! You know every well who the hell I'm talking about! Now tell me where he is! You were the last one who saw him! He wanted to see you after you didn't transform at the last fight!!" That was when everyone knew who he was talking about.

She mumbled in surprise, "Kisshu?"

Tart looked even more furious. "Who the hell gives you the right to be able to say his human name like that?! He's my brother, you old bitch! I want to know where he is!! Where is my nii-san?!!" After he said that, everyone was shocked but instead of Ichigo being the most shocked, Zakuro was.

She was paralyzed where she stood with her eyes wide as entrée plates and her voice was paralyzed as well. She couldn't move and she doesn't have the strength to speak. Mint looked at her from the corner of her eyes and she noticed that she still hasn't transform yet.

"Onee-sama!" she called. "Transform! You're the closest to Ichigo!" But Zakuro still refused to move.

"_**Zakuro!"**_

That voice was ringing in her head and it was hurting her.

While she was in some kind of weird pain, Sardon noticed something about Ichigo. Her right arm is all bandaged up from wrist to shoulder. He told Tart, "Tart! Her arm!" Tart looked at her arm and that was when he noticed the bandaged arm.

'_She didn't have that two days ago,'_ he thought. He used one hand to use his claw to open her sleeve and then cut open the bandages. Then both Sardon and Tart were surprised to see five claw slashes on her arm. Tart kneeled down closer to the arm and sniffed at it. _'It has…nii-san's scent all over it! But…'_ He looked back at Ichigo and wondered, _'He's not the type to like someone and then try clawing them to death. What happened between her and him?'_

"Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

In instinct of hearing that, Tart jumped off of Ichigo right when the pink arrow was going to hit him When the arrow came zooming by, it was like the spell that froze Zakuro wore off and she returned to her senses. Ichigo sat up and Mint was by her side the moment she sat up. Ichigo gasped when she saw Mint's pained filled eyes as she told her, "I know I don't expect a thanks, Ichigo." She stood up and got another arrow ready to shoot at the agents. "We don't know anything about his whereabouts! First he attacked Ichigo, tried to kill her but then ran away when the sun shined on him! He ran away after that! That's all we know!" Tart clenched his teeth together and glared daggers at the woman he still think is responsible.

Sardon ordered, "We're leaving!" Tart looked at him surprised but he reminded, "We have something we need to do." Anyone could tell that Tart didn't like the idea of running away but he gave in. Both Sardon and him teleported away without another word.

Lettuce and Pudding rushed to Ichigo's side and Lettuce asked, "Ichigo-san, are you okay?"

"Ichigo onee-chan!" Pudding called, scared. Mint didn't turn around to face Ichigo and she noticed that.

She answered, "I'm fine." Trying to sound cheerful but it was weak. She saw Mint clench her bow before it disappeared and she looked up towards Zakuro.

Mint asked, "Onee-sama, are you alright?" Zakuro looked up at her and nodded, but Mint yelled, "Then why didn't you transform?!" Everyone was surprised by her sudden outburst. Zakuro however remained unaffected by it.

She answered her, "I choose whether I want to fight or not. The reason why I didn't is none of your business."

"But onee-sama," Mint started. "We need you! Ichigo can't transform anymore so there are only four of us now!"

"So you only need me because you're worried that if I quit then the world is domed?" she asked, coldly. Mint didn't say anything. She looked like she's on the verge of tears. "Then I will quit." That surprised everyone. Mint looked at her with wide eyes as Zakuro told them, "You girls still don't understand the reason why we're still fighting or why Ichigo still came even though there is nothing she can do? I have run out of patience." After that, she just turned around and walked away.

Mint couldn't believe she just said that as she called, "Onee-sama!!" Zakuro still walked away without a look back.

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"Zakuro-san…walked away?" Keiichiro asked, turning away from the cake he was working on. Sadly, Ichigo nodded her head.

Ryou said, "I still can't believe that you snuck out just to get information. Just because you are no longer an angel doesn't mean that you're a spy now."

"Can we focus on the more important things here, please?!" Ichigo asked, in annoyed away.

After the little dilemma at the bay, everyone went back to the café, hoping that Zakuro would be there but she wasn't. Keiichiro and Ryou said that they haven't seen her. Then they asked what happened and why Ichigo was there. While Mint was sitting on a table with some tea, Lettuce, Pudding, and Ichigo told Ryou and Keiichiro the whole story of how they were almost creamed, why Ichigo was there, and Zakuro's words after Mint yelled at her. However, they left out the part that they were angry that Kisshu was missing.

Keiichiro said, "Well I'm surprised that Mint-san yelled at Zakuro-san like that. She's not the type to yell at her idol."

Ryou let out a sigh and answered, "It must be because of article."

"Article?" Lettuce, Pudding, and Ichigo asked.

Ryou took out a magazine and opened it. He passed the opened magazine to Ichigo and all three girls looked at it. Ryou told them, "Apparently, Zakuro was offered a job of doing a movie in America. Mint being the number one fan of her must have read this article earlier and got a little touchy. Maybe she thought that the reason why Zakuro didn't transform is because she's restraining herself from joining anymore fights. If that is true then it could also explain why she said that she will quit."

Ichigo said, "But we don't even know if this article is true!"

"It's true." Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding turned around and they saw Mint, looking upset as ever about the subject. "Last night, the news said that onee-sama might got to Las Angeles for the movie but she didn't give them a straight answer of rather she's going or not. What happened today is proof enough that she is going to say yes."

"But Mint," Ichigo started. "What happened today doesn't prove that she is going."

Mint looked up at her with hard eyes and asked, "Oh now you're talking to me?" Ichigo flinched at that. Mint turned sideways and told her, "I will admit that I was sad about how you despised me and I never blamed you, but now you're just talking to me out of the blue? What are you? Some kind of freak?" Ichigo looked a little hurt by that.

"Mint-san," Lettuce called trying to reason with her.

But Mint yelled, "It's over! Onee-sama is going to America and Ichigo can't transform anymore! What's the point of all of this if we can't be together? If onee-sama goes to America, then I might as well quit because I can't fight without her!" Then she started crying. Tears fell down her eyes as she turned completely to them and said, "I…I…I…I hate this! Why do the people who I care about leave me behind to face things? First Kisshu left, then Ichigo left, and now onee-sama is too! Ichigo, I'm sorry about what happened between me and Kisshu. I loved him but he loved you! I know that! That was why I believed that he didn't sleep with you on purpose or that the only reason why he became an agent wasn't to hurt you but to protect you."

Ichigo's eyes were just wide. After what happened between her and Kisshu, he has been a sad subject and just hearing about what Mint believed just made her feel guiltier about what she told him. Sure it was the truth about what he did but she was just so angry that she let it all out in a hateful way. Now she regrets it more than anything.

After a moment of silence, Mint wiped her face with her arm and she said, "I need some air. I'm sorry." Then she turned around and left through the exit.

Ryou looked at Ichigo from the corner of his eyes and said, "This must be surprising isn't it?" Ichigo looked up at him in a shocked way for a moment but nodded her head slowly.

Pudding explained, "Before you woke up, Mint onee-chan told us that she feels responsible of what happened to you, na no da. She even told us that on the day you saw them together, she saw Kisshu in the park so she followed him, na no da. She wanted answers so she talked to him, na no da."

Ichigo asked, "What kind of answers?"

Lettuce answered, "We don't know. She said that she promised him that she won't tell. Then apparently you arrived at the end and heard the rest of what happened between them, even saw them kiss." Ichigo looked down at the ground after that explanation.

'_So if she just met him to get answers then what kind of questions would she ask that would cause Kisshu to have that surprised look?'_ Ichigo wondered.

Keiichiro asked, "Didn't the agents also ask where Kish is?"

Pudding answered, "That was basically the whole reason why they attacked us, na no da. I've never seen Taru-Taru that angry before unless it's concerning a family member, na no da."

Ichigo gritted her teeth and then gained a determined face. She started storming out of the kitchen and out of the café.

"Ichigo-san?" Lettuce called, fallowing her.

Ichigo stopped and turned around to them. "I'm going to find Zakuro!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Click_

"Hello?" Mint greeted, phone by her ear and in hand.

Her caller answered, _"Mind explaining to me what that attitude was earlier?"_ It was Ryou.

After what happened at the café, Mint didn't just go out for air. She left the place and went to the same church as when she first met Zakuro with Ichigo when she was still a Mew Mew. Just meeting Zakuro in person and in her Mew Mew form seemed like a distant memory but it was still fresh in Mint's mind like she just had it yesterday. Before the call, she was only sitting inside and it comforted her. Must be because of the holy energy that the church gave off. Then her phone rang.

Mint had half a mind to just hang up, but she asked, "Why are you calling me, Ryou? I'm on my break."

He answered, _"I just want some answers. You mind answering them?"_

"Why do you want to know?"

"_Because I have a theory with the sudden change in your attitude."_

"What change? There is no change. I've always been like this."

"_Liar. It's the same with what happened to Ichigo too."_ The moment he said her name, Mint was speechless and shocked. She didn't say a thing as Ryou explained, _"You see, I think I know how Deep Blue was able to get a hold of as many agents as he did. Just infusing the tainted powers of him only makes them bound to him but they don't serve him until they believe that everything he says and does is right. For all we know, Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto probably saw something upsetting and then he took that chance to 'speak' with them. For example, Taruto probably started to listen to Deep Blue because he saw what he did to Pudding's family. He cared for her so much that he felt the huge amount of guilt from seeing the damage he's done. Then Deep Blue did the convincing. But for all we know, he probably was able to get Taruto to join him with a little help from Kish. Then the second example is Ichigo. Deep Blue takes advantage of sadness, anger, hatred, etc. Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding were feeling the depression and Deep Blue could have been talking to them to make them hate their once friends. Deep Blue feeds off hatred and other emotional pain. He got Ichigo because she saw you and Kisshu kissing."_

Mint gasp and wondered, _'She thought…She thought that we were betraying her?'_ She asked, "So then Deep Blue took advantage of the shock from seeing us and then made her hate Kisshu?"

"_Bingo,"_ he answered.

"So what does that have to do with me?"

"_By any chance, did you hear any voices before today? Anything at all about losing those you care about like Zakuro?"_

Mint had to gasp again. "How did-"

"_It was a guess because one day you were depressed and then you were angry earlier. Try to be brave, Mint. If you continue to believe Deep Blue's words, then he will control you. Just like how he has control over Kisshu, Pai, Taruto, and soon to be Ichigo."_

Mint calmed down a bit and nodded. For some reason, she felt relieved, comforted, and freed. It felt amazing and her heat rise up to her cheeks. She told him, "I will."

"_Good girl. Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding just left to go look for Zakuro. I believe they did that for your sake. If I were you, I would go to the first place I can think of where Zakuro would go to."_

Mint had on a determined face on as she nodded. "Got it!"

"_Oh and Mint!"_

"Yeah?"

"_Don't get hurt now."_ Then after that, he hung up. She froze where she sat. That was actually the first time a guy ever told her that.

_Creak_

Surprised, Mint turned around to see Zakuro enter the church and closed the door behind her. Mint stood up and put her phone away so that Zakuro can see her. She turned around and started walking down the aisle. When Zakuro looked up, she stopped out of surprise that Mint's here. Mint gulp and then looked at Zakuro with determined eyes.

'_I don't know how but I'll try,'_ she thought. She said to Zakuro, "Onee-sama, are you going to America?"

The surprise on her face disappears and Zakuro only had a blank expression on her face. "So you heard of the job offer. Are you here to beg me not to go?"

"Onee-sama! I know that this is going to sound crazy but if you do decide to go to America, then please take me with you!"

Zakuro only stared at her for a long period of time. Mint didn't lose her determination at all during that time. Finally, Zakuro let out a sigh and told her, "No. You're not an actress or a member of the staff. I have no reason to take you."

Mint looked hurt as she asked, "So you are going, then."

Zakuro told her, "Think what you want about my decision. It's my decision and there is nothing you can do about it."

Mint bit her lip again but held on a strong face. "Then I regret it."

Zakuro didn't faze as she asked, "Regret what?"

"I regret believing in you, onee-sama."

"Believing? If you had believed in me then you wouldn't have yelled at me when I didn't transform at the battle or let the rumors about me going to America get to you."

"I didn't mean that! I believed that you would always be with us and that you would open up to us! You know that Ryou and Keiichiro are angels from heaven that are here to save human kind, you know that Lettuce and Pai used to be really close friends despite their statues, you know that Pudding and Taruto were always together to help and support the other, you know that Kisshu and Ichigo used to be a couple but are now more apart than anything, and you know that I used to love Kisshu!"

Zakuro asked, "'Used to'? Don't you still love him or did you feelings die?" Mint then couldn't believe that Zakuro pointed that out to make her realize it. Didn't she still love Kisshu? Or was it just some crush?

Zakuro gained Mint's attention again when she said, "You girls don't need to know about my life because it doesn't change the fact that we still need to fight for humans. If I leave, then you shouldn't just quit and fallow me."

Mint clenched her fists and yelled, "You don't understand my feelings at all, onee-sama!! If you go to America and you won't take me, then I will make you stay! By force, if necessary!"

Zakuro asked, "How so?"

Mint took out her golden blotch and cried, "Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!!" There was the common blue light and when it disappeared, Mew Mint appeared in its place with her bow at hand. "I'll fight you."

Zakuro took her golden blotch out and yelled, "Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!" After the purple light, Mew Zakuro was there and said, "Then try and catch me. I don't want this church to be abused." Then she ran out the door and Mint fallowed her by flying.

However even with Mint's power of two pairs of wings, Zakuro was able to out run her because she still has the DNA of a wolf. Mint realized that after passing about five blocks and Zakuro was running and running further and further away. Mint started flying straight up and when she was higher than the buildings, she went down in front of where Zakuro is going to be. When she was right in front of her, she turned around and charged at Zakuro. Because she was so close, she brought her hands up in defense as Mint's hands ended up on her wrists.

Zakuro gasped as both her and Mint were flying backwards. She gasped because Mint had tears leaking out of her eyes. Mint told her, "I loved you, onee-sama. I really love you!"

Zakuro put her foot down on the ground to stop and she pushed Mint away. She went flying back as Zakuro summoned her whip. She swung it at Mint as Mint quickly unleashed an arrow. She got away from the whip as the arrow went straight for Zakuro's whip. It knocked it right out of her hands and landed about twenty feet away from her. Mint wasn't done there. Instead of getting another arrow ready, she landed on the solid ground and stood on her toes. She did a triple and when she was done, she put one foot in front of the other and faced her palms towards Zakuro. Something weird happened after that. A gust of wind headed that direction and it was strong. It hit Zakuro and she went crashing into a wall. Mint gasped in shock of what she did and look at her hands.

'_What was…that?'_ she wondered.

"Mint!"

She looked to her left towards the voice and she saw Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding running towards her. They stopped about three yards away for a breather.

Ichigo looked up and said, "There you are! We need to find Zakuro! Something about this whole leaving for America thing is just too weird."

"She already found me," Zakuro weakly said, getting up. Lettuce, Ichigo, Pudding looked towards her and they saw the whole in the wall and how weak she looked.

Lettuce asked, "Mint-san…did you and Zakuro-san…" She didn't need to finish it because all three of them got the idea.

"Well wasn't that interesting?"

All five Mew Mews looked up at a building and they saw Tart and Sardon on top; Tart sitting on the edge and Sardon standing on the edge.

"Pai-sensei!" Lettuce called.

Pudding called, "Taru-Taru!"

Tart looked at Sardon and asked him, loud enough for the other Mew Mews to hear, "Didn't you think that was interesting, nii-sama? A mew mew fighting a mew mew? It amazes me on how easily a human heart can make one fight the other."

Ichigo yelled, "Stop talking nonsense!!"

"You should shut up!!" Tart yelled, looking at her. "What the hell gives a formal mew mew like yourself the right to be here? Shouldn't you be back at the café, celebrating about my brother being gone?"

Ichigo was hurt by the words from before, but she had to ask, "What makes you think I should be celebrating when I don't even know what the hell is going on?"

Tart told her, "Nii-san was worried about how you didn't transform because he didn't have the slightest clue that the reason why you couldn't was because you seduced him! So he left to go check on you and that was the last time we saw him!"

Mint asked, "What do you mean by she seduced him?"

"Nii-san didn't want to sleep with that old hag because he knew that they both were too young and that she wasn't ready! But she forced him to force himself on her! We know that you blame him for that but the one who should be blame is you! You seduced him to make him sleep with him! It's your fault!"

Ichigo only stood there now; her eyes wide and her heart pounding rapidly. Zakuro got her whip and sung it at them. Mint had the same idea as she launched an arrow at them. They got out of the way before they were hit. Lettuce and Pudding noticed that Ichigo was hardly moving so they went to her side and tried shaking her a little.

Lettuce called, "Ichigo-san! Hang in there!"

"Ichigo onee-sama!"

All Ichigo mumbled was, "I…I…" Then her head started to hurt as she was starting to see images of her and Kisshu she didn't even know she had. At once, her memories of what happened between them hit and it hurt. She clenched her head in pain. "Aaaahhh!" she cried, collapsing to her knees. Her whole body was shaking and Mint and Zakuro turned towards her in worry. Lettuce and Pudding kneeled down to her level. Tart and Sardon noticed that she was in pain and Tart suddenly felt really angry on how Pudding was just clinging to her.

Sardon told Tart, "It's time."

Tart huffed and said, "For now, I'll let her suffer." He put his hands close together with his palm facing the other and a black orb was forming. It looked like the same as the others but this one came with a chant. "Clouds turned black with rain but instead of water, fire rained across the land." The black orb turned red and he aimed it at the sky. The red ball shot up towards the sky and just like he chanted, the clouds above started to turn black.

Noticing the sudden darkness, four of the mew mews looked up to see the darken sky and Tart smirking in satisfaction. He said, "Now Tokyo will burn and every human will die!"

"What?" Mint asked. Her answer was received from the sky.

There was a thunderstorm and then a red fireball fell from the sky. It landed about two miles from them and the buildings nearby went up in flames. After that fireball, hundreds more started to fall. One by one, buildings started going a flame and burned. The one that first caught on fire, started to collapse and from what the angels could hear, there were humans screaming. Then there was some that were heading for the angels. Mint did the only thing she could think of. She did a turn and jumped. When she landed and her arms gracefully fell to her side like a bird, she suddenly forced them up and her palms faced the sky. A gust of wind formed around them like a barrier and the flaming rocks moved to the side of the road to land.

Tart cursed, "Damn angel!"

"When did Mint onee-chan do that?" Pudding asked, astonished of the wind barrier.

Mint only answered, "Don't know."

Then Ichigo started sobbing. Lettuce called, "Ichigo-san?"

She answered, "What the hell…is this? I don't know what this is… So many of them…so many…" Then she started sobbing again, but harder.

Pudding tried to tell her, "Ichigo onee-chan, please hang in there!" Her continuous sobs told them that she didn't believe them one bit.

Zakuro watched as Lettuce and Pudding were trying to comfort her while she was sobbing tears of pain. Mint still held her arms up to keep the barrier but she started to take in deep breathes like she just ran.

"About two years ago, I lost my little brother," she admitted. All eyes were on her, except for Ichigo but her sobbing cries stopped so that she could continue. "His name was Kenchi. He was only about thirteen years old and he was my best friend. A long time ago, he was paralyzed and I knew that he couldn't live long. Our parents live in the country side of the Japan but after what happened, I ran away from home and got a small job in Tokyo as a model so that I could go school here. But before I went to school, I cried for days. I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't drink, or sleep. All I could do was cry. Then my career started to get successful. I became a model, singer, dancer, and actress. I went to different places from time to time and I stopped going to school. I gave my parents a P.O. Box address so that they wouldn't get a heart attack but I told them that I was doing fine and to not come look for me. The first two letters I got from them was one about how they found some of Kenchi's old things and that he had a letter for me just before he died. That was the second letter. The letter he wrote to me was that he was sorry that he let it happened to him. He always believed in me and that he dreamed that he would see me on stage one day. He knew how close we were and when he died, he knew that I would have a breakdown. He told me to never give up hope and that we would one day meet again someday; rather brother and sister, friends, lovers, or parents. It made me so happy to read that letter. Then when I was turned into a Mew Mew, I started getting all of these weird things happening to me but his letter helped me. Then I heard about all of these killing that the agents' have cause just to feed themselves and some of them were kids around his age. I once got so angry that I found out I could transform into a mew mew. I vowed that I would destroy the agents and destroy the ones who turned me into this creature because I believed that it was their fault for the killing as well. I found out who turned me into a mew mew and I tried to destroy them as revenge for the deaths of the innocent, but a young boy stopped me. He told me things that I knew my brother would have told me if he saw all of that. Kisshu and Kenchi were a lot alike in not only their age but in their spirit." After she explained that, all of the mew mews were staring at her in disbelief as tears are rolling down her face. "I miss him. I miss Kenchi more than anyone and I too want to believe that we can save Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto."

Right after that, Zakuro started to glow. She stopped crying as she started feeling a wonderful warm feeling consume her. The glow got brighter and brighter and it soon got Ichigo to look up as well as the agents to look down at her.

"What's going on?" Tart asked in disbelief.

When the light started to fade down, they were surprised to see Zakuro in a new, white outfit. Her top was actually really revealing, almost. It was white and it looked like that the only way it could be together to cover her top is by tying the ends in a knot. It showed her cleavage, her midriff, and it was sleeveless. Her bottoms are white long jeans that hang on her hips and her shoes are white tennis shoes. Instead of arm bands, she has several white bracelets on each wrist. She doesn't have her wolf ears or her wolf tail anymore. She has human ears and they had several piercing on each ear. Her hair was up in a high pony tail and it looked curled, her halo glowed more beautiful as it did before as it hovered over her head, her body was giving off a faint purple light, and her wings were three times as big as they were before. Almost like Mint, she didn't look surprised at all about her appearance.

Pudding couldn't help but cheer, "Wow! Zakuro onee-chan is beautiful!!"

Softly, she said, "Mint! Lower your arms and rest." Mint didn't have to argue. She just looked at her eyes and she can see that it was going to be alright. She stopped and collapsed to her knees, tired as the wind barrier deceased.

Tart and Sardon saw the whole thing and they were just as surprised as the girls down there. Tart asked, "Now what?"

Sardon asked him, "You want to feel the pain from before?" He didn't need to answer. They teleported away and allowed the fireballs to fall to the ground. One was falling straight for the others on the ground.

Zakuro lifted her arms up and closed her eyes. When she suddenly opened them again, she started dancing and singing.

_**Don't Stop the Music**__ by Rihanna_

_Please don't stop the music, music, music, music, music, music. _

The fireball disperse into a million pieces as Zakuro jumped away from the others and continued her dancing and singing.

_Please don't stop the music, music, music, music, music, music._

_Please don't stop the music, music, music, music, music, music._

It's gettin late  
I'm making my way over to my favorite place  
I gotta get my body moving shake the stress away  
I wasn't looking for nobody when you looked my way  
Possible candidate (yeah)  
Who knew  
That you'd be up in here lookin like you do  
You're makin' stayin' over here impossible  
Baby I must say your aura is incredible  
If you don't have to go don't

Do you know what you started  
I just came here to party  
But now we're rockin on the dance floor  
Acting naughty  
Your hands around my waist  
Just let the music play  
We're hand in hand  
Chest to chest  
And now we're face to face

I wanna take you away  
Lets escape into the music  
DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this  
Keep on rockin to it  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the music

I wanna take you away  
Lets escape into the music  
DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this  
Keep on rocking to it  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the music

Baby are you ready cause its getting close  
Don't you feel the passion ready to explode  
What goes on between us no one has to know  
This is a private show (oh)

Do you know what you started  
I just came here to party  
But now we're rockin on the dance floor

Acting naughty  
Your hands around my waist  
Just let the music play  
We're hand in hand  
Chest to chest  
And now we're face to face

I wanna take you away  
Lets escape into the music  
DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this  
Keep on rockin to it  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the music

I wanna take you away  
Lets escape into the music  
DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this  
Keep on rockin to it  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the music

Mama say mama sa, Ma ma coo sa  
Mama say mama sa, Ma ma coosa (2x)

Please don't stop the music  
Please don't stop the music

Mama say mama sa, Ma ma coo sa  
Mama say mama sa, Ma ma coosa

Please don't stop the music (2x) 

Then Zakuro lifted her hands up and as if by her command, the fiery rain stopped. The fire that was already burning on the buildings died down as well as anything near buildings that did catch on fire. The angels were shocked with that as well as how Zakuro was dancing. She looked like she was dancing with so much joy.

__

I wanna take you away  
Lets escape into the music  
DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this  
Keep on rockin to it  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the music

I wanna take you away  
Lets escape into the music  
DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this

Keep on rocking to it  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the music

Ma ma say ma ma sa, Ma ma coo sa  
Ma ma say ma ma sa, Ma ma coosa(6x)

Please don't stop the music 

Then the music stopped and she stopped singing. The black clouds that once hovered over the city disappeared and the sun came out. How the sun just shined through the darkness looked so beautiful. Then the wind picked up and it wasn't Mint. As the cool breeze blew through the angels, Zakuro couldn't help but look up at the sky and smile.

"One day, I'll go home. I promise, Kenchi," she said to the heavens. Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding stood up and they couldn't help but smile at her. Zakuro turned towards the Mew Mews and she told Mint, "Mint, I'm not going to America."

"Uh?" she asked surprised.

Zakuro giggled and told her, "I was planning on declining the offer anyway because I can't leave all of you to handle the devil by yourselves. This is my home too and I want to protect it. Once the battle is over, I'll face my fears and go to see my parents. I'm sorry that I made you upset, Mint." Mint couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief, until tears started forming from her eyes.

"Onee-sama!" she cried, running towards her. She hugged Zakuro and even though she was surprised by the sudden hug, Zakuro smiled warmly and hugged her back.

'_Having the courage to go home, uh?'_ Lettuce wondered, thinking about how worried her family must be for her.

Pudding smiled and thought, _'I think it's time I go back to my house. It's probably all dust and gross in there.'_

Ichigo was the only one who was sad. _'I guess I need to visit my parents at the grave yard soon but…'_

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"Damn it all!!" Tart cursed as he kicked a big boulder. The giant rock cracked and crumbled to a million pieces. He growled and went to the next rock to punch.

Sardon still only read his book as he said, "You need to have more control over your anger, Taruto. It could be the end of you."

Tart stopped hitting rocks and yelled, "I'm surprised that you're just sitting in that stupid chair reading that stupid book!! Aren't you worried about our brother out there! I know that witch did something to him and when I find out, she's going to wish that she was never born!"

"Talk is cheap. You need to prove it. Which is why I think I should go to the human world for a little field trip," Sardon said as he put his book down.

"A field trip for what?" Tart asked, his anger calming down a bit.

Sardon smirked and asked, "You know the phrase 'The truth hurts more than the lies?' Well I believe that the little cat gets a little inside look into what really happened between Kisshu and Dren."

Tart gasped and asked, "You wouldn't?!"

"But I will because I too want revenge for what she did to our brother."


	25. Broken Hearts Pt 1

**A/N: Hi, everyone. Sorry that I didn't update since god knows when, but I had to study for final exams and right on the day of the last day of school before Christmas break, my friend got me interested in Full Metal Alchemist. So I was watching some of the episodes while helping mom do a little last minute Christmas shopping. On Christmas eve, however, I got back into Tokyo Mew Mew and finished this chapter! Finally!!!**

**I am so sorry and to make it up to you, I will let out the third chapter for my two stories that are coming out soon after I finish this and 'Betrayal Reveals Love.' I actually finished chapter three and four for 'The Truth is Speaking to you, Ichigo!' because I was bored one time and my mom bought 'Mamma Mia.' I will let them out once I finish the third for 'You're a Girl?' Don't worry, I will write with the speed of light for your enjoyment!!**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you for the lovely reviews and please keep them coming! Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_When you see the one you once cared about kissing another, what is your reaction?_

Ch. 25: Broken Hearts Pt. 1

'_How long has it been?'_ Ichigo wondered as she walked up the steps to her parents' grave. She held a bouquet of lilies and a sad expression. When she found out her answer, she thought, _'That's right. When __**he**__ was here.'_ She walked to the last step on that thought. She let out a sigh and turned to her left. When she took a step, she stopped at the shock of what she saw. She saw Pai kneeling before her parents' grave, staring at the dead flowers and the carved names engraved on the stone.

"P-P-Pai?" she asked.

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and stood up. "Took you long enough to get here. Do you have any ideas of how many nights I waited for you to get here?"

She relaxed a bit and asked, "You were waiting for me?"

"Yes," he answered. He went to his bag and took out a big, fat orange package. He showed it to her and she walked up to take it; a little hesitantly.

She asked, "What is it?"

"Inside are two packages, each with a writing on the top. The only thing they have in common is that they are all about one subject; Kisshu."

Ichigo's eyes widen at that as she presented the package to him. "I don't want it," she said.

He didn't move as his voice got hard when he asked, "You mean after all of those memories that rushed through your head, the yells from Taruto, and the disappearance of him, you still despise him?"

Ichigo took a bit to answer that question. "Look! He killed my parents and the first person I ever loved. How do you expect me to forgive him when the things he did can never repay for the pain he caused me?"

"You said the first person you ever loved. Does that mean that you love someone else?" he asked, catching her off guard. Her whole guard of being strong weakened at that. He let out a sigh and said, "You don't have to read it all at once, Ichigo. The first one is about Kisshu's life when he met you and the second is about his life before. Surely you must be curious about him since he knew everything about you and yet you don't know squat about him. You don't have to open one tonight. You can read the first one when you believe you're ready and you can read the second one when you are absolutely positive that you are ready. Before you open the second one, however, you have to ask yourself if you are ready then you can open it." After he explained that, he started walking away. Ichigo stood there dumbstruck with the package still at hand.

When he walked right passed her, she was ready to turn around towards him. "Wait!" she yelled, but by the time she did turn around, he was gone. "Damn it all," she mumbled in a low soft tone. She looked at the package and thought about it a little more.

'_I'll just throw all of this into the garbage can. What the hell do I have use for this anyway?'_ she wondered. Then some memories of when she was under that potion started kicking in again. _'But… damn it all again!'_ She held the yellow package and walked towards her parents' grave. She put the package down and kneeled in front of the carved stone.

She smiled and greeted, "Hey, mom. Hey, dad. How are things up there? Are grandma and grandpa happy to see you? I remember the last time that we saw them, dad and grandpa were ready to have a kendo match like in the story of how you two were able to become a couple. I wonder if probably grandpa and dad are doing that now." She laughed at that comment and then her laughing turned into sobbing cries. She tried to wipe them away as best as she could but they were endless. "I miss you guys so much and…and…I miss Dren-kun too." She hugged her knees and started crying again. She's been doing that a lot since that day when Zakuro turned into a full angel.

After that day when the earth was almost turned into a flaming planet, things kind of went back to normal. Lettuce decided to go back home to her house. She was beyond relieved when she saw that her house was still standing and her parents and little brother were safe. When they saw her, they were happy; especially since they all hugged her. Lettuce's mom was the only one who was close to tears as Lettuce was crying her tears out. She was beyond happy to be home.

Pudding went home too and just like she thought, the was messy and dusty beyond belief. Just to be sure, she went up stairs into the rooms of her departed siblings and looked. At first she was terrified to go up or even see the inside, but she dealt with it by forcing herself to push the door open to see it…clean. There was no blood on the wall or floors and there were no bodies or body parts. There was one thing though. There was a little piece of paper folded on her little sister's bed. When she opened it, it only had one word; sorry. Pudding recognized the handwriting and nearly cried. It was Taruto's handwriting. He must have clean out the blood and the bodies but where did he put them? She found out when she went outside. There was an area in which the ground looked all dug up and there were five stones on top of it. No doubt that he was the one who buried them all and that was what made her cry.

Ichigo did a lot of thinking. At first, she was thinking a lot about what Kisshu's reaction when she told him she hated him. But now, he was never out of her mind. If what Tart said was true as well as the memories she gained that day, then she can't help but wish one thing as she continued to cry over her parents' grave.

"I wished that I never said those words to him," she cried. "I…can never forgive him for what he did to you and Dren-kun but I can't hate him either! I can't love him anymore but I don't want to hurt him. I don't know what to do anymore…please…someone…help…me."

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"Everyone!! Over here!" Keiichiro called. Lettuce, Mint, Zakuro, and Pudding ran towards him and Ryou. When they were close, Keiichiro quickly explained, "Thank you for coming. For the past few days there have been huge numbers of demonic energy in this bay."

Ryou ordered, "We need to split up and see if there is any agent work at hand." All four girls nodded.

While Ichigo went out to see her parents, Keiichiro and Ryou have sensed demonic energy coming from the Tokyo Bay. Since the agent's plans are to destroy all life, there is a very good chance that they could be trying to pollute the water too. When there were kirema anima alerts all over the bay, Ryou and Keiichiro didn't want to take any chances. They called all of the Mew Mews, except Ichigo, to the bay and told them the news.

Ryou ordered, "Lettuce and Mint will come with me on one boat and Pudding and Zakuro will go with Keiichiro." All four girls nodded and took their golden blotches.

"Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!"

Once they were transformed, they jumped onto the boats they were assigned and the guys started the engine. During at least fifteen minutes of the trip, there was nothing. Nothing except for the sound of the motor, the sound of the water, and the breeze that blew in from the west. The first ones to notice the wind were Ryou and Lettuce.

Lettuce looked towards the west as Ryou mumbled, "A storms blowing in. We have to hurry and check this bay before the storm hits."

Mint listened to Ryou's words as Lettuce mumbled back, "It's called a Zephyr. Wind that blows from the west indicates that a storm will come soon."

Ryou looked up at Lettuce from the corner of his eyes as Mint asked, "That's one of the names, right?"

Ryou answered, "Yeah."

Lettuce couldn't help but smile as she explained, "Winds from the west bring storms but it also brings happiness once the storm passes. I believe in that saying more than myself."

Then it was Ryou's turn to smile as he asked, "Why is it that you believe the saying more than yourself?"

Lettuce looked at him confused as Mint told her, "I may not be the hyper Ichigo when she's in a good mood but there is one thing I will say. There's a point in Ryou's saying." Lettuce looked at her as Mint finished, "You deserve some confidence, Lettuce. You have no idea of how much you deserve it after all the heart breaks you went through." Lettuce was dumb struck by that remark.

"She's got a point, Lettuce," Ryou told her. When Lettuce looked up at him, he was looking at her with a gentle smile and gentle, encouraging eyes. That face actually made her face blush and her heart pound.

"Well isn't that sweet?"

That was when all six looked up. Ryou and Keiichiro stopped the boat as they saw Sardon with at least hundreds of flying fish in the air with him. He had his fan by his face like he was fanning himself as he greeted, "So nice to see that you have such good friends, angel."

Lettuce was hurt by that as Pudding got a little angry. She stood up and asked, "Want a taste of our fists, na no da?"

Sardon glared at her coldly from the corner of his eyes and said, "Like you can do anything to me." That only made Pudding growled more.

Keiichiro told her, "Calm your anger, Pudding-san. Anger only makes them stronger. Agents feed on negative emotions from humans and angels."

Then Mint asked, "Like how you fed on Pudding's, Lettuce's, and Ichigo's emotions when they were moaning over agents like him?!" Sardon's eyes widen at that for a moment, but they returned back to his cold stare as quickly as his eyes widen.

He ordered, "Enough talk. Go, kirema animas!" As commanded, the fish charged at them and as reaction, the girls started to attack.

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!" she screamed, summoning her whip. She launched it towards some of the fish and they turned back into regular fish once hit.

The fish fell back into the water as Ryou exclaimed, "He possessed the fish?"

"It was all in order for you to come out, but I should have known that you wouldn't allow _human_ Ichigo to get into danger," Sardon explained.

Pudding attacked, "Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!!" Her attacked captured some of the fish but with one swing of his fan, lighting went straight for the jello cage and destroyed it.

Mint got an arrow ready and yelled, "Leave Ichigo alone! She has nothing to do with what happened! I am! I was the one who made Ichigo confused and say things!" That got Sardon's attention.

"So be it," he said. He aimed his fan at her and swung, saying, "Ku Ryu Sen!" Mint forgot to let go of the arrow.

"Look out!" Ryou yelled, pushing her out of the way. The attack hit him and he went into the water.

"Ryou-sama!" Keiichiro called.

Lettuce went to the edge and called, "Ryou-san!"

Mint looked at the water to expect Ryou to come up but he didn't. "Ryou!" She started running to the edge but more fish were coming for her. Then she remembered to shot. "Ribbon Mint Echo!" She purified the fish back into the water and looked over the edge. She still couldn't see Ryou. "Ryou!"

Sardon huffed and said, "Pathetic. And he calls himself the prince of heaven." Lettuce gripped the metal bar and bit her bottom lip. She has to do something.

"Mint! I'm going in!" she told her.

Mint looked at her surprised as she reminded, "But I thought you said you can't swim!"

She gulped and said, "But I have to save him!" Sardon was taken back by that as Lettuce jumped into the water.

"Lettuce!"

Sardon gritted his teeth and teleported away, leaving the other mew mews to deal with the millions of possessed fish.

Lettuce dived deep into the depths of Tokyo Bay. She was scared and the water was numbing her body but she knew that she has to save Ryou. Rather he's an angel or not, he's still in a human body and human bodies need air. She needed air too but she just has to keep going. She can't give up, for both of their sakes.

She looked deep into the water and she saw some of the possessed fish dragging Ryou down. That was why he didn't come up. He looked like he was already starting to lose air as he struggled against the fish that pulled him down.

'_Ryou-san!'_ Lettuce thought, kicking as hard as she could. She claimed that she doesn't know how to swim and that's true but right now, her body is moving from instinct.

When she got close, the fish noticed her and quickened their pace in dragging the angel prince down. Lettuce got even more scared for his safety. Compared to the fish, she's slow and she has the DNA of a fish; interesting.

Her lungs burned for air and her muscles started to tighten together. She needed air or she won't make it, but she's already so far away from the surface. She has to hurry. She summoned her weapons and charged them up. _'Ribbon Lettuce Rush!'_ she thought, releasing her attack. It went straight for the fish at full speed and they were purified. They quickly swim away and Ryou was only drifting deeper into the bay. He's unconscious from loss of oxygen. Lettuce only got more worried for him.

'_Ryou-san!!!'_ As Lettuce kicked harder, she got closer towards him but…

"Ku Ryu Sen!"

A water current forced Ryou to go down further and Sardon appeared between him and Lettuce. She stopped kicking and stared at Sardon with great surprise. She knew that she would lose air this way but she had to ask him.

"Please, Pai-san! I need to save him!" she gurgled under the water.

He asked her, "Would you kill me if I don't move?" Her heart stopped after he asked that. How could she kill him?

She shook her head and pleaded, "Please Pai-san! Wouldn't you do the same if you wanted to save the person most important to you?" His eyes widen at that. In fact, he would. The person most important to him is…her.

He gritted his teeth and clench his fan tighter as he told her, "You wouldn't understand!!" He charged at her and swung his fan at her. Desperate now, she ducked and kicked harder towards Ryou.

When Sardon turned around, Lettuce already within reach of Ryou. She hugged him and held him tightly to her. She pleaded in her mind, _'Please! Anyone but him! Let him live!'_ Then after that one thought, a heavenly miracle happened.

A bright light from Ryou shined and it engulfed Lettuce into a warm, comforting feeling. But the light didn't feel the same to Sardon. It burned him and to try and protect himself, he put his arms up to block the light as well as his fan. When the light settled down a bit, Sardon lowered his fan and he saw a shocking sight.

From the waist up, Lettuce looked the same. But from the waist down, she had a mermaid's or a fish's tail. It was a beautiful white with pearls decorated on the hips. Her skirt was gone and her ribbons on her head grew longer. When she opened her eyes, they looked so gentle and she was staring at Ryou. Sardon couldn't help but watch as Lettuce took a breath of water in. Being a fish, she could breath underwater.

In her mind, she thought, _'Please, don't die.'_ She closed her eyes and leaned towards him. Her lips soon were against Ryou and they allowed air to enter his lungs again. Then Sardon thought he was going to explode.

All of a sudden, his head felt really hot and it was throbbing. His heart in his chest pounded harder and harder and faster and faster. With each pound, he felt a rush of pain pulse throughout the body. But with each pulse, the pain got worst and worst. It felt a lot like when he was first infused with the hellish powers but this one felt hotter and more painful. He used every ounce of his remaining strength to keep the scream he longed to release hidden as he teleported away when Lettuce's lips removed themselves away from him.

She held him tighter and started swimming for the surface. It was a long swim but when she made it to the surface, she jumped up in the air. All of the girls, who finished the kirema animas off, looked towards her direction and stared in shock. Lettuce looks so…so…beautiful. Lettuce fell back into the water and Keiichiro started the boat to get to them.

Lettuce still held Ryou in her arms a little longer until she looked at him in the face. He still had his eyes closed and that was really scaring her. "Ryou-san! Ryou-san!" she called, desperate for him to wake up. And he did.

He shut his eyes hard and opened them to see Lettuce with tears leaking out of her eyes. She smiled when she saw his eyes as he mumbled, "Let..tuce…"

She said, "Thank goodness. I'm so glad you're alright."

"Ryou-sama!"

Both of them turned around to see Keiichiro slowing down to them with Zakuro in the seat next to him and Mint and Pudding standing in the back seats. Keiichiro asked, "Are you two alright?"

Ryou answered, "We are now." Secretly, Mint smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

She whispered, "Thank goodness."

Keiichiro told Ryou and Lettuce, "The ladies completely defeated the kirema animas and Sardon disappeared." Lettuce raised a brow at that. Sure he must have disappeared from them but what happened after she passed him? He isn't the one who usually gives up that easily.

Pudding asked Mint, "What's with the smile, Mint onee-chan?" Mint lost it and turned completely red for Pudding mentioning that so loudly.

"Be quiet!" she told her, covering her mouth.

Meanwhile, Ryou told Lettuce, "Thank you, Lettuce. I would have been a goner if you didn't save me." Lettuce smiled and shook her head.

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you're…alright."

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Ichigo jumped up and did a triple in the air. When she landed, she stared skating backwards on only one leg. But she didn't watch where she was going. She went straight for the wall.

_Bang_

Ichigo tripe and fell to the ground on her butt after crashing into the wall. She groaned, "Ow…"

After the cemetery, Ichigo still had the whole day to waste so she went to the only place she could think of. A place she hasn't been in years; Tokyo Skating Rink. Tokyo Skating Rink is a place where it's always cold like winter and it's where people can come and skate. However, if the lakes outside are frozen during the winter, they're closed. When Ichigo arrived, it was only her and the people who live there. She had the whole rink to herself and she was happy for that. She needed some time alone.

"Nice turn."

Ichigo was shock for a moment but she let out a sigh and put her hand on the wall to help her get up. She looked at Taruto who was leaning by the exit of the skating rink and asked, "Is today Meet-the-Agents-in-Human-Form Day?"

He answered, "Very funny." He looked at her and told her, "I didn't know you can skate."

Ichigo told him, "A long time ago, my parents made me took lessons and Dren-kun was my number one fan. He always cheered and congratulated me whether I win or lose." She let out a chuckle and added, "I remembered one time when he tried to skate with me, he wouldn't let go of the wall because he was afraid of falling and embarrassing himself in front of me."

Taruto let out a chuckle and said, "That sounds like him…it sounds like him."

Ichigo raised a brow and asked, "Why are you here, Taruto?"

He answered, "I was bored since nii-sama is at Tokyo Bay and probably fighting the Mew Mews right now. He wanted to lure you out so that he can destroy you. We both know that something happened to nii-san that is keeping him from coming back. I'm only seeing you to entertain me."

Ichigo had a vein pulsing on her head and she said, "So glad to be of service."

There was a small silence between them for a bit and Taruto got bored. He let out a sigh, that was visible in the cold wind, and said, "Read the envelope. You'll find out a lot of things about nii-san that you didn't even think of."

Ichigo let out a tired sigh and answer, "Pai told me that I can read it when I think I'm ready and when I am ready. Right now, I don't think I'm ready to read about the person who killed the ones I loved."

"And when is that day when you are ready?" Taruto asked, getting serious.

Ichigo looked at him with surprise as she answered, "I don't know…"

Her face fell as Taruto told her, "Then you'll never be ready." She looked up again in shock as Taruto started walking away. He waved from behind and said, "Think about it!" Then Taruto teleported away in a rush of black leaves.

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In the darkness, Sardon laid on the floor, gripping the area over his heart. The pain didn't seem to stop and it still continued getting stronger and stronger. The pain even got to the point where Sardon was tasting blood in his mouth; his own blood. He was choking on it and he was desperate for air but he didn't seem to die from loss of oxygen.

Then he heard a growl; an unfamiliar growl. He opened one eye to see who it was, but it was too dark for him to see. From the sight of his one open eye, you can see his eyes changing from violet to dark blue and from dark blue to violet. The thing that growled walked towards him like an animal on all fours and it smirked. His hand touched Sardon's shoulder and it was hot. He pushed Sardon to make him lay on his back and stared at his pained face. That only made the smirk on his face wider.

His voice sounded harsh and wild as he said, "Hello, dear brother."


	26. Broken Hearts Pt 2

**A/N: FINALLY!!!!!! I'm DONE!!!! Now it's out for all of you wonderful people to read!!! Thank you for waiting for so long and for your pleasure, I will send out the next chapter of 'Betrayal Reveals Love' and the third chapter of my two new chapters!! It's the least I could do and it's a New Year treat for all of you!!**

**I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming!! Thank you and enjoy!**

_You promise that you never get the most important person to you get angry because you wanted her to be happy. But what if she did get angry; at you?_

Ch. 26: Broken Hearts Pt. 2

"Sooooo tired……" Ichigo whined, on the table. For the whole day, Ichigo has been polishing every inch of the inside of the café as one of her late punishments for being suspended from school.

Ryou came in and saw Ichigo lying there. He didn't pay mind to how tired she looked as he called, "Hey, Ichigo!"

She looked up and asked, "What?"

"We need groceries."

"For what?!"

"A new health drink that Keiichiro wants to try make. Here's the list of the ingredients." He walked to her and presented her the list. She took it and opened it; it was actually a very long list.

"The hell is this?" she demanded, standing up.

He told her, "Don't swear to me and get going. Also, don't forget to take your wallet too. Someone's money needs to be used in order to get all of them."

"Oh, yeah sure! And it can't be _your_ money? You're the one who's rich, not ME!!" she yelled, but he just walked away; ignoring her complaints.

He waved from behind and said, "Bye!" All she did was growl behind his back; literally. But she gave up. After all, this is her punishment for nearly beating the boys to death.

She went up stairs to change into some outdoor clothes and grabbed her purse. She put the list in her purse and started to head out, but she stopped at the door. She took a quick glance at her desk which held the yellow package that Pai gave her.

When she came home that day, she just placed it on her desk and hasn't touched it since. She just kept staring at it. She thought a lot about the terms that Pai told her and about what Taruto told her. Even though Ichigo refuses to look into it because Kisshu killed her loved ones, she could still hear Taruto's voice in her head. Now it's just plain annoying.

Ichigo looked away and headed out to the store. At the store, she bought everything that was needed and it cost her a fortune. The cashier thought it was weird on how Ichigo looked like she was crying on her way out with at least six bags in her hand. With six bags, Ichigo didn't go very far. She only went as far as the park and collapsed on a bench for a quick five minute break.

She thought, _'I hate Ryou. The next time I see him, not only am I going to demand a raise but I'm going to make sure he doesn't fly again!!'_

"Ichigo onee-chan?!"

Ichigo looked up to see Pudding with Lettuce. She was surprised as she greeted, "Hi, guys. What's up?"

"We were just on our way to work and Pudding-san thought it would be faster to go through the park," Lettuce answered.

"Oh, I see."

Pudding asked, "What's with these bags, na no da?"

"Just Ryou being cruel and making me waste all of my money to buy these groceries for a new drink that Keiichiro wants to try."

"We see…"

"We see, na no da…"

Lettuce asked, "Need some help?"

"That would be lovely."

"But before we do that, we'll join you on your little break, na no da!" Pudding cheered, sitting next to Ichigo. Lettuce sat next to her on the other side and all three enjoyed the small breeze and the calming skies above.

Ichigo couldn't help but mumble, "This is just like last time."

"Yes, na no da," Pudding agreed, knowing what she's talking about.

Lettuce asked, "What is?"

Ichigo answered, "This day. The last time I sat on the bench with this calm day, it was when Kisshu helped me with the groceries."

"It was also this day that we meet and when Taruto was still a part of my act, na no da," Pudding answered, sadly. "I miss him."

"I do, too," Ichigo agreed.

Lettuce asked, "But I thought you said you hate Kisshu-san."

"I thought I did," she answered. "But now, I'm not so sure." Lettuce didn't know what to say. She just looked up at the skies and thought of one thing.

"Pai-sensei…" she mumbled. Ichigo and Pudding need to ask because they know that Lettuce deeply cares for Pai. All three let out a depressed sigh.

"What's with the long faces, angels?"

They looked forward and Tart was there and he looked pissed off.

"Taru-Taru?!" Pudding called, surprised.

He glared at them and threatened, "Don't call me that or I'll make sure you don't ever call me that again!" Pudding flinch back in shock and fear.

Even though she can't transform, Ichigo still got brave enough to stand up and asked, "What do you want, Tart? We don't have time to deal with you!"

"Well, you're going to have to make time!" he growled. His hand glowed black with a hint of yellow as he told them, "Because I want my brothers back!" He threw the ball at them and they just barely missed that. Lettuce pulled Ichigo away as Pudding jumped to the other side.

Tart faced his palm to the ground under Lettuce and Ichigo and black plants right under them grew. The black vines grabbed their wrists, ankles, neck, legs, and their chest. The vines made them go up about thirty feet off the ground and Pudding watched in horror of her friends. The grips around them were tight as Lettuce and Ichigo where having a hard time breathing.

"Taru-Taru! Stop this, na no da!" Pudding screamed.

Tart glared at her from the corner of his eyes and got another blast ready. "Shut up, Pudding-san!" he yelled, throwing another blast at her. It hit the ground near her and she went flying. He turned his attention to the two suffering girls and flew up to their level. He told them, "I'm only going to ask once so you better answer if you value your lives!"

Ichigo asked, despite her disability to breathe properly, "What are you talking about?!"

"I mean my brothers, you old hag! Where are they?!"

"We don't…know…" Lettuce breathed out.

He yelled, "Don't you fuckin lie to me, bitch! First it was nii-san who disappeared after saying that he was going to see the old hag and then nii-sama disappears after dealing with you at Tokyo Bay! What have you've done with them?!"

Now that was shocking. Ichigo expected for Kisshu to return to them by now and Lettuce didn't know that Pai went missing after what happened at Tokyo Bay. She figured that since his attempt failed, he went back to hell but he didn't. He disappeared…

Tart's patience started to go thin as he snapped his fingers. The vines gripped around them tighter; closing their air ways for them to have difficulty breathing. After having them suffer for about a minute, Tart snapped his fingers again and the vines loosen. Ichigo and Lettuce could breathe again.

As Ichigo and Lettuce were desperately trying to get air back in their lungs again, Tart threatened, "Now answer correctly and I might spare your lives. Wrong answer and you're both dead!"

Lettuce and Ichigo tried to think of anything so that they could at least stop this nonsense, but nothing came to mind. They both shook their heads and Ichigo answered, "We…don't…know…"

Tart growled again and got his hand ready. "Wrong answer." Ichigo and Lettuce shut their eyes, waiting for the tightening of the vines around their neck.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

Tart didn't snap his fingers and he flew out of the way.

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!"

A purple whip attacked the vines and they freed both of the girls without harming them. Then they were falling.

"Eyaaa!" Ichigo screamed, seeing the ground coming closer and closer to her.

"Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!" Lettuce transformed into her angel form and saved herself but Ichigo was still falling. "Ichigo-san!"

Then a strange thing happened. Ichigo quickly turned around and she landed on her feet without harming herself like an acrobat. When she landed, she thought, _'What just happened? I thought I can't use my cat abilities since I'm no longer an angel?!'_

"Ichigo onee-chan!" Ichigo looked to her side and she saw Mew Pudding running up to her in a worried matter. "Are you okay, na no da?"

"I'm fine, Pudding. A little out of breath, but I'm okay," she answered. After saying that she was out of breath, Pudding narrowed her eyes in anger and let out a soft growl.

She looked up at Tart and yelled, "Stop this right now, Taruto!!! You can't just show up, accuse my friends, and then try to kill them when they don't even know what you want to know, na no da!!"

Tart flinched back from that. He looked hurt after she said that. His eyes turned glossy as he told her, "You know, I didn't mean what I said earlier. I thought you knew me better." Pudding raise a brow in confusion but when she saw his sad and lonely expression, she gasped. Next thing she knew, he teleported away and appeared in front of her. He quickly said, "I'm sorry." Then he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. He wrapped his arms around her and then…

_Crackle_

_Buuuuuzzzzz_

Electricity was visible as Tart held Pudding. His eyes were closed shut with pain as Pudding was doing everything she can not to scream. Ichigo was the only one who could touch agents without getting hurt so if Tart and Mew Pudding touch, they get hurt.

"Pudding!" Ichigo yelled, reaching for Tart so that she could pull him away. But the moment she touched his skin, she felt the shock and took a few steps back; grasping her slightly burned hand.

She looked at it and wondered, _'Now what?!'_ She looked back at Tart and Pudding and both of them disappeared in Tart's black leaves.

"Pudding!!"

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"Well? Did you find her?" Ichigo asked, like the twentieth time.

Ryou gave her the answer, the twentieth time, "Just be patient and quiet, Ichigo. The more patient and quiet you are, the faster we find Pudding." Didn't make sense to Ichigo because she's desperate. Lettuce, Mint, and Zakuro were there too, but they're a little more patient than Ichigo.

After Pudding was 'kidnapped' by Tart, Ichigo and Lettuce instantly went to the café and the first thing Ryou asked was 'where are the groceries?' Ichigo's answer was that Pudding was taken by Tart after she and Lettuce were nearly strangled by him. Mint and Zakuro were already there and when they heard that, they stood up like the café was on fire and they needed to get out. Ryou calmed them down and reported to Keiichiro. They didn't open the café as Keiichiro and Ryou were using their computer talents to find a pinpoint location of where Tart could have taken her. Certainly not hell because she wouldn't be able to survive and if Tart still cares for Pudding then he wouldn't take her there.

Then Lettuce called, "Ryou-san?"

He stopped and looked at her from over his shoulder as he asked, "Yeah?"

"If there any reason for an agent to suddenly disappear?"

He asked, "What do you mean?"

"When Tart was going to strangle Ichigo-san and I, he demanded to know where Kisshu-san and Pai-sensei are. He even said that the last time he saw them, Kisshu-san said he was going to check on Ichigo and Pai-sensei was going to handle us at the bay. But we didn't know anything so he tried to threaten our life to get an answer. I know them well enough that they love each other too much to willingly leave. Is there a reason for the sudden behavior?"

Ryou told Keiichiro, "Keep working." He turned around and faced them saying, "I don't know. I'm the prince of heaven who has never turned a human into a hell agent. The best person to ask is the devil himself and I highly doubt he would sit down and have tea to talk. But I will admit that from these brotherly love attacks, I've been pulling my hair out to find any reason for their behavior. The last time any of you handled them before they suddenly disappeared, Ichigo was nearly massacred by Kish and Lettuce passed Sardon to save me from drowning. I don't see a connection between any of those events. I'm sorry, Lettuce."

Lettuce only shook her head and looked the other way. "It's alright. I was just curious." After listening to that, that caused Ichigo into thinking again. Something weird was going on and the more she thought about, the more often that yellow package comes to mind.

"Found her!" Keiichiro announced. Everyone looked at him as he said, "She's at a stadium that is supposedly empty and it seems that Tart is with her."

"Got it!"

Then all five girls got up and headed for the door.

"Ichigo!" Ryou called, making her stop. She looked at him as he asked, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Where does it look like, all mighty prince of the heavens?"

Ignoring that, he asked, "If you go out that door and into that stadium, you'll only be in the way."

"Well trying to help is better than staying here and just waiting for something to happen. Besides, what if something happens to Tart that causes him to go missing to? Lettuce was too busy saving you so she didn't see anything. Maybe I could and figure out where the hell Kisshu is!" Before Ryou could try to stop her, she started running to the doorway, making Ryou nearly speechless.

Keiichiro turned around and asked, "Did you feel that?"

Ryou, coming back to earth, nodded and answered, "Like it was hard to miss; the energy of a true angel."

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"Taruto! Let me out of here, na no da!" Pudding yelled, banging on the cage she was put in. She kept banging and banging on the cage bars and Tart didn't seem to mind the noise. In fact, he was paying most of his attention on peeling the orange in his hand.

After he peeled it, he tore it in half and presented a half to her through the bars. "Want an orange? It's your favorite."

Her eyes beamed with delight as she accepted it. She told him with a smile, "Thank you, na no da." He smiled a little too and then Pudding came back remembering where she is and what just happened. "Hold on, na no da!! You can't just get friendly with me with my favorite fruit, na no da!!" she yelled at him.

He lost his smile but he didn't seem affected by her yelling. He just said, "Well we've been here for about half an hour already and I just thought that you would like something to eat. You maybe my prisoner for now, but that doesn't mean that I should treat you like a prisoner. You're my friend so I'll treat you nice." He tore a piece of the orange and ate it.

She eyed him, but she tore the orange to pieces and started eating some of it. She asked, "If you're my friend, then why did you try to kill my friends, na no da?" After she asked that, Tart squeezed the remaining orange in his hand. The juice dripped down his fingers and the remains fell to the floor. Pudding was surprised to see him do that.

He asked her, "How can you call them that when they're the reason my brothers are missing?! Damn it, Pudding-san! I thought…I thought you cared. They're my family and they're missing! I don't know where they are, I don't know if they're safe, and don't know if they're coming back! They could be dead for all I know!!"

Pudding could say something about that, but she didn't. She's not that kind of person. Instead she tore her share in half and reached out through the bars. He looked at her in surprise as she smiled and him and said, "Eat up and smile, okay, na no da?" He let out a laugh and smiled as he accepted the orange piece.

"Thanks, Pudding-san." She just smiled at him and then returned back into eating the rest of her orange. When they were finish, Tart asked her, "Does it hurt?"

"What does, na no da?" she asked back, popping the last piece in her mouth.

He pointed to her arms and said, "I mean the burns. Do they hurt?"

She looked at her arms and she saw the burns from when Tart hugged her. She told him, "They don't hurt, na no da!! Don't worry about it, na no da!" He didn't let it go. She could tell on his face.

He told her, "Put one hand over your arm."

She asked, "Why?"

"Just do it." She did. "Now think of the burns just healing away." She did that too and right before her eyes, her hand glowed white and she moved her hand to hover all over the arm. The glow left nothing behind besides just the disappearance of the burns.

"Wow, na no da!" she let out. That caused Tart to smile a bit as Pudding did the same to her other arm. She asked, "How did you know I could do this?!"

He answered, "I've just guess actually." He looked at his arms and told her, "Since my wounds heal from all of the blood I drank, I just thought that maybe you angels could heal to but in a more purer way." He dropped that subject and looked directly at her eyes. He asked, "Pudding-san, if I did kill those girls for what they've done, would you get mad at me, then hate me?" She was speechless and deeply confused by that question. How can she answer that?

"Pudding!!"

Both of them looked at the entrance and they saw all three mew mews. Mint was the only one who had her weapon ready and she was aiming at Tart. "Let her out, now!" she commanded.

Pudding wanted to tell Mint not to shoot because she misunderstood the situation but Tart sat up and he looked ready to fight.

"Finally you witches showed up. I was wondering if Pudding-san actually has friends worth protecting," he said.

Mint told him, "We'll we're better than friends then someone who abandoned her!" Tart flinched at that. He got a blast ready and he was growling.

"Pesky girls like you should just die!" Then he sent the blast at them and Mint released her arrow.

The blast and the arrow hit but the arrow purified the blast and shot straight through it. Tart dodged the arrow before it could hit him, but behind him is Pudding in a cage. She ducked as the arrow was right about to hit her. Tart saw what the arrow almost did and the mew mews gasped for the safety of their friend. Tart looked mad now. Both of his hands were covered with his blasts and he charged at them with it.

"Wait, na no da!!" Pudding yelled, but he didn't listen.

He fought with the mew mews and he kept everyone of them occupied so that none of them would get near…well almost all.

While he was fight with the ones who can actually fight, Ichigo snuck in and remained hidden while she moved closer to Pudding's cage. She thought, _'Just because I can't transform doesn't mean that I can't help. Who gives Ryou the right to tell me when I can't and can fight? Oh right, he's the prince that we angels are helping. Do I have the right to call myself an angel?'_

At the end of that thought, she was close to Pudding's cage. Pudding saw her and her eyes beamed with happiness. Ichigo put her finger in front of her lips as a sign of 'be quiet.' Pudding shut her mouth and nodded in agreement. Ichigo quickly but slowly rushed to the cage and asked, "Pudding, you alright?"

"Yes, na no da! But what are you doing here, na no da?" Pudding asked in a whispered.

She answered quietly, "Here to rescue you, if I can open the cage." Ichigo looked at the lock and it's locked tight. Now why did Tart locked her in with no way out besides a key or a…

Then Ichigo remembered something a long time ago. She told Pudding, "Hold on. I have a plan but step back." Pudding did and Ichigo faced Tart. "HEY TART!!" she yelled, getting his attention. The fight stopped and Tart looked over his shoulder to see her. Then she said, "Midget!!" Pudding was just shocked to hear that as Tart was surprised. Ichigo continued. "Midget! Midget! Midget! Midget! Midget! Midget! Midget! Midget! Midget! Midget!!!"

Tart was shaking with rage as Pudding really stepped back. Tart put his hands together and created a blast bigger than his whole body. "Now you're dead, you old hag!!" He unleashed the blast and the Mew Mews got scared for her now. At the last minute, Ichigo jumped away and the blast hit the cage; causing it to blow up to pieces. Ichigo turned towards the cage to see Pudding come out but nothing; just smoke. The Mew Mews waited for her too with concern and worry and Tart was just paralyzed with what happened.

The smoke finally cleared and they saw Pudding against the wall, unconscious. Everyone gasped in surprised from that scene as Tart gasped first then growled. He clench his fists and blood dripped down from the nails digging in to his flesh. His teeth were hard tight against each other and he could feel his hate pilling up. While he was doing that, black vines secretly started to grow behind the mew mews and they captured them with a surprise.

"Ah?" Mint and Lettuce let out as they were being lifted up the ground.

"Mint! Lettuce! Zakuro!" Ichigo called, watching them. Then she suddenly felt a dark presence besides her.

By the time she looked up, Tart kicked her hard and she went flying for the wall. Her back hit it and she heard a loud crack; everyone did. She fell to the floor and tried to get up but it was too painful; she probably broke one or two ribs. Then someone grabbed her hair and forcefully lifted her up. Before she could open her eyes, Tart punched her face and she went flying again.

"Ichigo!!" Mint called. Even though there is nothing she can do, her voice just rang out.

When Ichigo landed on the ground, she lifted herself up a bit and spitted out blood. Then…

_Crack_

"AAAAAAHHHH!!!" Ichigo screamed in agony of her sudden broken leg. Tart powerfully stepped on it and broke her leg just to hear her scream like that. Then he walked to her upper body and powerfully stepped on her right shoulder.

_Crack_

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" she screamed again. Now her right arm is broken.

"Don't worry. It will all end soon," Tart told her. She looked up at him and he flexed his claws. "I'll be sure to share your heart with nii-san when he comes back." He aimed for her chest and got ready to stab her through and tear her heart out.

"Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!!!"

Hearing that, Tart stopped and looked behind. When he did, he was blasted away by Mew Pudding's attack. Ichigo looked up to see Pudding running towards her.

"Pudding…" she mumbled, her voice mixed with pain.

Pudding kneeled down to the floor and looked at her with guilt filled eyes. "Ichigo onee-chan…" Pudding's eyes changed from guilt to anger. She looked up to where Tart is and she saw him holding his shoulder in pain as he stood up. When he looked up, he could see her anger.

"Pudding-san…"

"Don't ever call me that, again, na no da!!" she yelled at him with angry tears dripping down her face. Ichigo looked at Tart and she gasped in what she saw; the same hurt filled expression Kisshu had when she yelled at him. Pudding continued. "I'm angry at you for hurting my friends, Taruto!! I'm angry at you and I never want to see your face again, na no da!!! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, NA NO DA!!!!!!!" Then it started.

After Pudding yelled that, the vines the held the mew mews started to die and slowly dropped the mew mews to the ground. They tore themselves away from the plant and ran to their beaten up friend. While they were scared to death if Ichigo will be alright or not, Ichigo watched Tart grasped his heart and started moaning in pain; just like Kisshu. The only difference was that no one else got to see it. He used the rest of his energy to teleport away.

"Ichigo-san! Hang in there!" Lettuce told her.

"Don't you dare die on me, you hear!" Mint yelled at her, angry.

Zakuro said, "We need to call Ryou and Keiichiro here or her condition will get worst."

"There's no time for that, na no da!" Pudding told them. They gasped at her as she instructed, "Mint onee-chan, hover your hands over her chest, na no da! Lettuce onee-chan same on her right arm and Zakuro onee-chan! Her Leg, na no da!" Willing to try anything a bit confused, they did as they were told. Pudding hover her hands over Ichigo's face and instructed, "Now think of healing Ichigo onee-chan! Use your energy to heal her!" They did and they were amazed with the results when they hands started glowing white.

Minutes passed and Ichigo's pain started to vanish. All she could feel when the pain was completely gone are a huge amount of energy and a comforting warmth. She knew it was over when the warm feeling disappeared. The angels were exhausted as they waited for their friend. Ichigo, feeling fine picked herself up with both of her arms and she bend both of her legs. Everyone except Pudding were amazed as Ichigo moved her right arm, moved her left and moved side to side for any pain; none. She touched her cheek and it was perfectly fine, looked fine too.

"I'm…healed…" Ichigo mumbled in surprise.

Pudding lightly smiled and breathed out, "Thank goodness, na no da."

Zakuro asked, "How did you know that we have healing powers?"

She answered, "I wanted to heal my burned wounds and I learned that way. See?" She showed everyone her arms and there were no burns at all, just like she said.

"Wow… Amazing, Pudding!" Ichigo told her. Hearing Ichigo got Mint's attention.

"You are in big trouble, you hear me?!!" Mint scolded Ichigo. She flinched back in surprise and Ichigo had that face of 'what did I do?' Mint told her, "When we get back to the café you, I can't wait to see what Ryou-san does to you!"

"What?!"

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In the darkness, Tart was screaming. The pain that ran through his veins became too painful for him. The pain was so great that he couldn't even move. It felt like his whole body was covered with pain and it kept exploding in his limbs; making more pain. His eyes were changing from dark gold to bright yellow as his fangs grew large and sharp; cutting his hard agent skin.

Then a hand touched his head; a hand that felt ice cold for his hot body. The hand also felt wet as it lightly stroked Tart's head. Then he felt a second presence that crawled him like a wild animal. It leaned to his head and sniffed his head. The second figure backed away and had a wide grin on his face; his long fangs shining in the darkness.

"Welcome, little brother," the second figure greeted, his voice sounding wild and harsh.

The second voice sounded murky and as if the voice was being spoken under water. "Pour thing. So young and had to go through a heart break."


	27. The Grudge

**A/N: ****Here you all go! Another chapter for this story. Just to let you know, there was a little confusion with what Kuro said and well, the truth is that she wants me to hurry up and finish the story because she's so impatient.**

**Kuro: I'm not impatient. I'm just irritated. You pretty much have the other stories down but you won't continue because you want to finish these two first. I just thought that these two are still not down, it's annoying that they keep going on and on like there is no end.**

**Tsukiko: There will be an end, SOON Kuro! I'm almost down with these two. Soon there will be the big Deep Blue versus Tokyo Mew Mew battle and you should know how that is going to end the story.**

**Kuro: You're not going to kill the aliens are you?**

**Tsukiko: Aaaaahhhhhhh…..Well…..**

**Kuro: Tsukiko, I will so kill you if you even scratch a hair on Kisshu's head!**

**Tsukiko: I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. Thank you and please enjoy!!**

**Kuro: Tsukiko!!!!**

Ch. 27: The Grudge

'_Earlier today, thirty bodies were found in an abandoned building that appeared to be used for a party that senior kids were holding. A woman walking her dog found them when her dog suddenly took off and led her to the bodies. So far this is the fifth night in a row in which such numbers of people are being killed. The first three nights only ten were murdered, then twenty, and finally thirty. It seems that the serial murderer has taken a step up with leaving puncture wounds on the neck and sucking the blood dry from body. Citizens believe that it's vampires but the police have found no evidence of any saliva or anything that could lead to the killer. For now, stay in side at all times and-'_

Before the anchor man could finish, Ryou paused the news on the big computer screen and told the four mew mews, "The killings have increased and I hardly believe that it's all the work of one agent."

Keiichiro added, "Agents used to eat only one or two humans and now, it's at least ten each."

"Do you know what's causing this?" Lettuce asks concern for humanity.

Ryou answered, "First Kish disappears, then Sardon, and the only one left is Tart. Maybe he's so determined to find them that his hunger increased and he's killing anyone in sight."

Pudding grasped her hands together and thought, _'Stupid Taruto…Sure you're family is missing but is it worth shedding more innocent blood?'_

While, the mew mews and the boss were having that conversation meeting, Ichigo was by the door and she heard every word of it. After Ryou gave Lettuce her answer, she left without any one of them knowing that she was leaving or she was even there. It's been two days since her last encounter with an agent and she got her fair share of yells from both Mint and Ryou about how she just ran into danger like that or that she could've been killed. She didn't understand the big deal since she's alive and well now. Then Zakuro asked that if angels having healing powers then how come Keiichiro didn't use his healing powers to heal Ichigo's arm? Her only answer was that the wound would have gotten worst if he took time to transform and try to heal her wound. They can't use their angel powers if they're human. It was probably a good thing that they didn't. The wound on Ichigo's right arm left scars and they reminded her a lot of what happened that night. She hated it but now, she's grateful to have the scar.

Ichigo walked back up to her room and closed the door behind her; forgetting to lock it. She sat down at her desk and looked down at the papers scatter all over the surface of her desk; papers of words that she said to Kisshu and what Pudding told Taruto, the things that happened between Lettuce and Pai, and the number of humans being killed each night. As she looked after paper after paper of her findings, she got each sentence burned in her mind.

"None of this makes any sense!" she whispered to herself, gripping her hair as she stared down at the papers again. "Okay, when I said those words to Kisshu, they were full of hate and he disappeared after that. Then when Pudding last talked to Tart, she said words out of anger. But Lettuce never said anything like that to Pai before he disappeared. Only that if he would do anything to save the one you care most. Then there's this number of victims being killed; first three nights were ten, then twenty, and suddenly thirty. It's like that what Tart said before. After having an encounter with us, they start acting weird. But why?"

She leaned on one hand and started tapping the desk with her fingernails. As her eyes traveled around the surface, her eyes caught a glimpse at the orange package. Ichigo looked back at the package and she stared at it. She could still remember what Pai instructed her and what Taruto told her at the ice ring.

'_**You don't have to read it all at once, Ichigo. The first one is about Kisshu's life when he met you and the second is about his life before. Surely you must be curious about him since he knew everything about you and yet you don't know squat about him. You don't have to open one tonight. You can read the first one when you believe you're ready and you can read the second one when you are absolutely positive that you are ready. Before you open the second one, however, you have to ask yourself if you are ready then you can open it.'**_

'_**Read the envelope. You'll find out a lot of things about nii-san that you didn't even think of.'**_

'_I should read it,'_ she concluded as she reached for the package. She picked it up and brought it close to her. She got ready to open it but she thought, _'But how is it going to help me solve this mystery about the sudden increase of human lives and the disappearance of them?'_ Her hand left the opening and she tossed it back to the corner of her desk. She let out a sigh and leaned against her chair in complete cluelessness.

Then her eyes caught the eye of a drawer. She stared at it before she opened it. Inside the drawer lies her red collar. As she picked it up, she started to remember all of the good times she had with Kisshu before he revealed himself to be an agent. Then from what it seems, he didn't even knew that he was an agent to begin with. That struck a brain cell.

She put the collar on the window pale since it was right next to her and she started writing more notes on the paper. Now she sees that in the beginning, Kisshu never knew about him being an agent which means that he didn't knew that he killed Ichigo's parents before. He didn't know that he tried to kill Mint when they first met, he didn't know about the fight he had with Zakuro at the church, he didn't know about Pudding and her deceased family, he didn't know that he doesn't become an agent when the moon is full and brightly shining above him in the night, and he didn't know that his own brothers were agents until they revealed themselves the day they kidnapped him. Then after he was kidnapped, she saw him again at their dance performance and he was willing to kill her. He also had that ring on his ring finger and he told her that he killed her parents and her first love. Then during that time, his brothers and maybe the devil gave him his memories and somehow convinced him to kill Ichigo. But why would he do that?

As she writing her new findings, she didn't finish it because of one tiny piece that was missing; the reason why Kisshu decided to be her enemy. She cursed, "Damn it! What does it mean?"

"What is it?"

Ichigo looked up at the door and both Lettuce and Pudding were by the open door. Ichigo asked, "What are you two doing here?"

Lettuce answered, "Ryou-san said we can go but we wanted to know how you were doing before that."

Pudding walked over to her desk and asked, "What are you working on, na no da?"

"I was just trying to piece the puzzle together," Ichigo answered. Her friends looked up at her as she explained, "During this whole drama, we've been through a lot but we didn't really try to figure it out because we were too busy being sad or hateful. I also wondered that if we could think of anything at all that could solve the mystery, it could also give us the reason why there is an increase on murders. From what I've noticed before, the agents only killed three and now it's ten each."

Lettuce asked, "You've been listening into our conversation, haven't you?" Ichigo tensed up at that. Guilty…

Ichigo told them, "Just because I can't transform, doesn't mean that I can't help. That one time when I was beaten to a bloody pulp was the first and last time that will ever happen."

Pudding suggested, "Maybe we can give you more tips. You know Kisshu and Lettuce knows a lot about Pai. I can tell you about the other one."

Ichigo stared at her for that comment. "Ever since that day, I haven't heard you once call his name."

A vein pulsed on her head as she answered, "I'm still mad at him for trying to kill you. Until this whole thing is over, I won't forgive him."

"But you're supposed to be angels. Angels are supposed to forgive and forget." After she said that, both of them stared at her in surprise for that reminder. Ichigo looked at her papers and explained, "I was a terrible angel because I refuse to forgive Kisshu for killing my love ones and I refuse to just forget about it. But now I'm wondering that the reason why all of these increases are because I refuse to learn that. I still can't forgive him but I regret being so mad at him. The way his face was so innocent and painful. Tart had the same face when he left too. But I'm guessing you were too busy worried about me that you didn't see it." Ichigo looked at them and they were in more shock. She has a point and Pudding's face fell in regret.

_Squeak_

_Squeak_

All three girls looked at the window and there was a squirrel that was trying to open the bell on Ichigo's collar. She tried to grab it as she told it, "Let it go, you little thief!" The squirrel dodged her and put the collar in it's mouth. He jumped off and landed on the trees. "Damn animal!" Ichigo cursed as she opened the window more and got ready to jump.

"Ichigo-san!"

"Ichigo onee-chan!"

But it was too late, she jumped off the second story and landed safely on the ground with her legs. She started running after the squirrel and both Pudding and Lettuce were surprised to do that. But they didn't waste time. They ran out of the room and down the stairs of the building and went though the back door to fallow Ichigo.

Ichigo was right on the squirrel's tail actually. She saw the little animal jump from one tree to the next with the collar in its mouth. She was starting to get pretty angry with the little animal. What she forgot was that the sun was starting to set and three people usually come out in the darkness of the night.

"Ichigo-san!" Lettuce called. Ichigo looked behind for a second to see both Pudding and Lettuce catching up to her. She didn't stop to talk or anything. She was still trying to catch the squirrel.

Then the squirrel jumped into a bush and disappeared. Ichigo went through the bush and she couldn't find it. Lettuce and Pudding fallowed her pass the bush and looked around to help her. All they saw was an open clearing, a pond and trees surrounding the little clearing. Ichigo was burning with anger as she walked towards the center of the clearing.

"That stupid animal!" she vented. "If I ever see it again, I'm going to turn it into soup!"

Pudding and Lettuce walked towards her as Pudding told her, "I highly doubt that anyone is going to eat it."

_Squeeeaaaak_

All three girls looked forward towards the sound of the crying animal and then a _crack_. They gasped and took a step back in fear of that. Then Ichigo's collar comes flying out of the bush and landed near her feet. Only a few scratches on the bell but Ichigo is too scared about what just happened. She picked it up, slowly; her eyes never leaving the bushes. Then the sun completely disappeared.

_Bubble_

_Crack_

_Rustle_

First the girls looked at their right at the pond to see it bubbling up, then they looked towards there left to see the ground lifting up, and finally they looked back at the bushes to see it moving. As the movements started to increase, the girls crowded close together and each one had their eyes on one thing; Lettuce at the pond, Pudding on the rising ground, and Ichigo on the bushes.

To Lettuce, while the pound was bubbling up, it started to boil. Steam rise up from the water and it flew up in the air. As the water was getting hotter, the little fish that were inside came flouting up to the surface; dead. After the fish, a hand came up; a pale hand with nails long and sharp as knives. It grabbed the surface and pulled the rest of itself to the surface. Lettuce watched as the dark being came up the surface and took a breath of air. With the remaining light, she saw who it is; an agent, her agent. Sardon looked drench to the bone and his fangs were at least an inch or two longer then before. When he looked up at her, his eyes looked sad and they are bright blue that pierced right through the darkness. Those eyes caused Lettuce to be paralyzed to the flour.

Pudding watch the ground rise up higher and higher like it was creating its own small hill. But when it was Pudding's waist length, the hill top cracked and a pale hand with sharp long nails that had dirt under it came shooting out. The hand grabbed the surface, piecing the hard dirt and lifting itself. Another hand came up and pierced the ground and helped the other pull. Thanks to the little light of the sun, Pudding saw who it is; Tart. From coming out of the ground, his clothes and skin were dirtied from the dirt and there were dirt clumps and small rocks in his hair. As Tart lift himself up from the ground, he leaned over in a pounce position and he bared his two inch fangs at her. When Pudding looked at his eyes, they were glowing yellow and they were angry. Pudding could feel her whole body shaking with fear.

Finally, Ichigo watched as the bushes continued to shake like it was cold or something. As the bushes shook, someone came crawling out of it. The first thing that Ichigo saw as it moved closer is a pale hand with, to her, the world's longest and sharpest fingernails anyone has ever seen. On that pale hand is the black satin ring with a green jewel on the ring finger. Ichigo gasped after seeing that and continued to watch the rest of him come out. He was crawling out slowly like a wild animal that was stoking the prey; striking fear deep into the heart. As his other hand was slowly coming out, the hand already out gripped the ground. When the hand finally came out, it was covered in blood and Ichigo didn't have to think twice about who it belonged to. Finally, Kish revealed himself and blood was dripping down his lips. His fangs were longer than last time and they were covered in blood too. His eyes that caused Ichigo's own heart to beat faster than the speed of light were red like the last time and they are full of hate.

Then despite their fear, Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding started acting like idiots. The way it was shown, each agent in front of them made a dramatic, scary entrance and their hair was in the face. Sardon's hair is wet and is dripping as it was in front of him. Tart's hair is already messed up with the dirt and it was in front of his face too. Kish's hair just looked messy like a wild animal so it was only natural that it would be in front of his face. Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding started acting like fools as they remembered a horror film.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" they screamed in fear. They started running away like lightening as they screamed, "THE GRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDGE!!!!!!!!!"

The agents stayed where they were are as they watched the girls running faster than they were before to the café. They entered the back door and started pilling stuff up to block it. Wondering what the noise was, Ryou, Keiichiro, Mint, and Zakuro looked to see them piling up any item they can get their hands on. When they were done, those three ran to the front entrance and locked it. Then they grabbed the tables and chairs and piled them up.

Ryou asked, "What are you three doing?"

They didn't listen. They were too busy making sure that no one was getting into the café. Then Ichigo stopped.

She yelled, "Hold on!" Both Lettuce and Pudding stopped to look at her as she reminded, "They don't use doors." All three tensed up.

Then they held each other in fear and it looked like they were crying for their lives. "AAAAHHH!!!! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!" they cried.

Mint asked, "What's going on with you three?"

They answered, "THE GRUDGE!!! IT'S COMING TO KILL US!! THREE TIMES IT COMES!!! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIIIIIIEEEEE!!!!!"

Ryou just turned around and headed for the phone. "I'm going to call Lettuce's parents if anyone asks."

Mint asked, "Can I use the phone after you're done? It seems that no one is leaving the café tonight."

"Then I'll use it to call my agent," Zakuro said.

Keiichiro let out a sigh and said, "I'll get some blankets and pillows."

"Don't," Mint told him. "As soon as they see it, they'll take it and pile it up by the door."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Meanwhile after the girls left, all three agents still looked at the way they ran. Tart completely got out of the ground and cursed, "Damn bitches. I wanted to suck them dry." His voice sounded angry and harsh

Kish agreed, "You have no idea how much I want that too. I want to see that strawberry girl's eyes get drained of every life she has left." His voice sounding vicious and wild.

Sadly with his voice sounding murky, Sardon said, "Oh well. Shall we dine somewhere more crowded?"

Kish smirked and licked his lips and his long fangs. "Now for some real fun." In a flash, all three got up and ran as fast as they could towards the city; murdering thirty more people, thirty more souls being collected.


	28. The New Agents

**A/N: Hello everyone!! Here is another chapter for this wonderful story! Although, I don't know about the chapter… Anyway! I have some school problems so I won't be able to write in about two weeks. I'm sorry! So I hope that this chapter will entertain you enough for about two weeks. If not, then reread the story so that you can have a better understanding of the story and maybe find some clues to the ending. It's there but you have to look for it like how Ichigo figured a few things out in the last chapter.**

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. Thank you and please enjoy.**

**Tsukiko: Who asked you!! OUT!! Just get out!! OOUUUUTTTT!!!!**

_When you are already afraid of the one thing you care about and you make a foolish mess over it so that you wouldn't be so scared, how scared will you be when you have to face the one thing you fear most and love?_

Ch. 28: The New Agents

They've been up all night and even had a wink of sleep. Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding made a fortress of pillows and plates. They found the closet last night and took every pillow they had to make the fortress. Then they went into the kitchen and got plates, bowls, and knives. The knives were their weapons and the bowls are their helmets. They've been up all night, staring at the door, ready for the Grudge to come and kill them all. But it seemed they weren't going without a fight.

Pudding told Ichigo in a ready to go voice when the sun was up, "It's quiet, na no da."

Ichigo agreed, "Too quiet."

Lettuce reported, "The sun's up and it's awfully cloudy."

Ichigo ordered, "Be prepared for anything. This is our lives we're protecting."

"YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF IDIOTS!!!!" both Ryou and Mint yelled, getting angry with this idiotic act.

Because of the yell, the girls went flying through air and their fortress was destroyed. Thinking that it was the Grudge, they got their knives ready to attack but then they saw two very unhappy people.

Ichigo calmed down and breathed, "Oh it's you two." Then she got her blade ready and asked, "Or is it?"

"The heck is your problem Ichigo?!" Mint yelled.

Ryou yelled, "You're all acting like a bunch of idiots! There is no such thing as The Grudge. It was all only a horror film that was used to scare humans."

All three girls relaxed as Ichigo said, "Yep, it's them."

Keiichiro and Zakuro were behind Mint and Ryou and they were rubbing their necks. They apparently didn't get a lot of sleep and Mint and Ryou were grouchy. Then Ryou tried to calm down to ask, "Okay, what happened last night that caused you to act like such idiots?"

Lettuce explained, "Well, a squirrel stole an item from Ichigo-san and she wanted it back. So she jumped off the second floor and landed safely to run after it. Both Pudding-san and I fallowed her and we lost the squirrel when we reached a clearing with a lake. Then when the sun was down, we heard a cry of a squirrel and Ichigo-san's item came flying out. She picked up and stared at the bush because there was rustling. The pond was boiling and then the ground was rising up like a hill. I kept my eyes on the pond and the Grudge came out of it with long fangs, long sharp nails, and piercing blue eyes."

Pudding added, "Then I saw the top of the rising ground crack and the Grudge was emerging from it, na no da. He had long fangs, sharp nails, and bright yellow eyes full of anger and rage, na no da."

Then Ichigo finished, "And I saw the Grudge coming out of the bushes with the same description except his left hand was covered in blood from the squirrel, he had blood dripping from his mouth and fangs, and he had red eyes of hate staring at me. Then we ran because we thought we were going to die. Do you think that we would be acting like this if this wasn't the truth?!"

Ryou and Keiichiro stared at each other in concern as Mint figured it out. "How about instead of thinking it was the Grudge, do you think that maybe it could have been agents?"

All three answered, "No way/No way, na no da. Not possible/Not possible, na no da."

"Well I want you to start cleaning up and put everything back to the way it was. If you continue with this nonsense," Ryou warned. Then both him and Mint looked like the devils themselves. "Or we'll do worst things then the Grudge." Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding looked small from their threat and they started working.

"Right away/Right away, na no da!" Then they started putting things back to where they were before. Ryou and Mint calmed down and took a deep breath.

Ryou patted Mint's shoulders and said, "Good job, Mint. Watch them will you?"

"Sure," she answered. Then he left with Keiichiro to the basement.

Keiichiro asked when they were going down the stairs, "What do you think it means?"

Ryou answered, "It means that either the devil got new agents since his old ones disappeared or something is serious wrong. Right now, I just hope that none of them are true; for our sake and the world's."

_Forty minutes later…_

Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding finished putting back to the way things were and both Mint and Zakuro got border. Thirty-five minutes after they started, Mint and Zakuro went into the kitchen to see if they can make any breakfast since Keiichiro is still down stairs with Ryou researching the newly found agents. But when Mint and Zakuro looked through the refrigerator, surprising, there was nothing there to help them cook anything. Only random stuff; Keiichiro must have used them for other ingredients for the café. They also assumed that Keiichiro was probably going to go shopping last night or earlier today but because of all of this 'Grudge' problem, he couldn't go out.

Mint walked over to Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding who looked very tense at a table. "Ichigo?" she called. Next thing she got, it was an almost stabbing attack from those three. She stepped back in surprise but they didn't stab her.

"Oh, it's you Mint-san, right?" Lettuce asked, trying to calm down.

Mint answered, "Yes, I'm Mint." _'I can't believe that they are still scared about this whole thing.'_

Pudding asked, "Something you need, na no da?"

Mint told them, "Onee-sama and I need to go to the store to get groceries. Can we trust you to not do anything dramatic while we're gone?"

Ichigo asked, "Define 'dramatic?'"

Zakuro only answered, "Just please don't kill anything unless necessary, okay?"

All three answered, "Alright/Alright, na no da."

"But," Ichigo started. Both Lettuce and her took out a necklace made of garlic and put one on Mint and another on Zakuro. "Make sure to not take it off."

"And here, na no da." Pudding handed both of them a wooden stake and a hammer.

Then Mint yelled, "I thought this was about the Grudge! Not a vampire!"

Ichigo answered, "Well it had fangs and we only said it is the Grudge because they looked like it."

Zakuro asked, "So it's not the Grudge?"

"We never said that/We never said that, na no da," they answered, causing both Mint and Zakuro to fall over.

"Good bye!" Mint yelled, then she went out with Zakuro and slammed the door. For the door behind opened for at least a second, Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding got cautious again just to make sure that no one got in.

Mint and Zakuro threw away the stake and the necklace and continued on their way to the store with money at hand. Because they both are still a bit concern, they prayed that Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding wouldn't do something stupid.

After only twenty minutes since they left, Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding were still touchy about what was going on. They sat on their table again with knives at hand but they had something a little extra; garlic powder and three wooden stakes. They are seriously being ridiculous for far too long.

_Thump_

All three girls picked up their knives and stake as they got up to see what made that noise and they were shocked. They saw Keiichiro on the floor, in his angel form, and his wings looked broken and some feathers were plucked away. The worst part is that he's also in a pool of his own blood. They dropped the knives and stake and ran to his side.

"Keiichiro!" Ichigo called, rushing to his head and sitting down.

Lettuce went to his side and asked, "Keiichiro-san?! Who did this?"

"Keiichiro onii-chan!" Pudding called.

He weakly with the remaining strength he had looked up and told them, "We were attacked. Ryou-sama is still down there…" Then he went unconscious. All three were worried yes, but they need to stop the bleeding before Keiichiro dies.

Lettuce told Ichigo, "Ichigo-san! Call Mint-san and Zakuro-san! We could use their help. We'll try to heal him."

Ichigo nodded and said, "Okay!" She got up as Lettuce transformed into her angel form. She took out her phone and called Mint's number since M is closer than Z. The phone rang until Mint finally answered.

_Mint: Ichigo?_

_Ichigo: Mint! We're under attack! Keiichiro is unconscious and Ryou is in the basement dealing with something!_

Ichigo heard Mint gasp in horror and some items fell to the floor.

_Mint: We're on our way!_

Then she hung up and Ichigo looked back at Keiichiro. Lettuce was trying to heal him but surprisingly, nothing seemed to work. Ichigo asked, "What's wrong?"

Lettuce answered, tears up in her eyes, "My powers are not working! He's not healing."

Pudding asked, "Do you think that maybe he's an angel that our healing powers don't work?"

Ichigo wasn't convinced. "No, I don't think so. Open his shirt." Lettuce turned red from that as Pudding, who still had a knife, ripped Keiichiro's shirt to see his injuries.

They saw a black glowing bite mark on the left side of his neck and as all three girls looked at the rest of his body, they saw black marks on the right side shoulder and left side hand. They were terrified as Ichigo was the first to react. She tore three pieces of her skirt and tied them tightly around his wounds, except for the neck. She pressed hard against the wound with a torn skirt piece and they all heard him gasped in pain.

Ichigo told the others, "You two have to go down or Ryou will be done for."

Pudding took out her blotch and transformed as Lettuce asked, "Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Does it look like we have time to talk?" Ichigo asked. "Go, go, go, go, go!"

"Okay, na no da," Mew Pudding answered. Both her and Lettuce ran towards the basement as Ichigo continued to press against Keiichiro's wound.

Ichigo looked down at Keiichiro and he opened his eyes. He looked up to see Ichigo and he grasped her hand that was on his wound. She gave him a confused look as he told her, "You have to…go down there…too. But…be careful."

She asked, "Why?"

"Because…Kish is down there…too." That was a good enough answer for her to want to go down. His hand went to his wound and he pressed it down to help the stop of the blood. "Go…hurry…" She nodded in understanding and got up and ran to the basement.

As she went down the stairs she heard a, "AAAHH!" from Lettuce. She ran even fast down the stairs until she stopped right at the door.

The door was broken and Keiichiro's blood was dripping from down there to up there. Lettuce and Pudding were at least two feet in front of her and Lettuce shaking and crying in fear. Pudding was just frozen as Ichigo fallowed their gaze to the same frightening sight. On the other side of the room, in the corner there were Kish, Sardon, and Tart feasting on Ryou who looked barely alive. Kish had his fangs dig into the left side of Ryou's neck, Sardon was sucking the blood from the right side arm, and Tart was drinking the blood from Ryou's left side hand. The worst part is that all three looked like how they did the night before; fangs, claws, and eyes likewise. The difference now is that they weren't wet or dirtied and they could see the whole body. The clothes are the same but their wings are bigger now; at least half of their body length. Ryou's blood was leaking from the corner of their mouths as Ichigo's legs were shaking so loudly that it sounded more like a window being hit with a strong blast of the wind from outside. Her voice sounded that of a mouse when she finally spoke.

"Kisshu…?"

When she called, he stopped. He released Ryou from his fangs and licks his wounds so that nearly not all of the blood would be wasted. As Sardon and Tart were still feeding on Ryou as Kish was crawling, just like a mountain lion, around them and facing Ichigo. She could feel the piercing pain of the knife of fear stabbing her heart as she just looked at him. She didn't see his eyes until he was suddenly right in front of her. His arm swung at her and she went flying to her left. She hit her shoulder and she felt a crack from it.

"AAHH!!" she screamed in pain, kneeling over while holding the broken shoulder. Her scream woke Lettuce and Pudding from their trance. They looked at her and saw her wound as they saw Kish slowly crawling to Ichigo's pained body.

"Ichigo-san!" Lettuce called. Sardon heard that.

Next thing Lettuce knew, Sardon was right in front of her and hit her head. She went flying to the right and her head was the first thing to greet the wall. She kneeled down and touched her head; she's bleeding. As she leaned away from the wall, she felt a cold tongue touch her wound. The tongue brought the sense of shock from the electric energy of repel from an angel and an agent. When the tongue left her head, she looked up to see Sardon licking his lips from the blood.

Pudding looked from Lettuce after she crashed to Tart. She tried to gather as much courage as she could while Sardon licked Lettuce's blood and she yelled, "Taruto, stop it!" He did. He extracted his fangs and licked the wound, only to appear in front of her and punch her stomach. She gagged as landed on the first step. She felt terrible pain from the punch and the landing of the first step. She gagged and coughed as she moaned in pain. Then she felt a pot hot hand grab her wrist. She looked up to see Tart slice her wrist. She let out a yelp in pain as she could feel a vein being cut. Then she started to feel the repelling energy of an angel and an agent starting to electrify her. She looked up when she felt Tart's hot lips against her skin. She saw Tart have a small taste of her blood and from the touch of his lips, more electricity but he didn't seem to mind it or get scared by it.

Kish crawled to Ichigo's shaking body and he was really close when she looked up. She could feel hatred pouring out of him as it was shown in his eyes. She went closer to the wall and that only caused him to get closer. When she was right up the wall, he still leaned closer. Then he kissed her. Her eyes were wide as his were closed. She didn't understand it as she could fell his tongue opening her mouth more so that it could went. Then she knew. His tongue made hers come closer so that his fangs could cut it. In the process, his fangs also sliced her bottom lip. She could taste her blood for only a second as she could tell that he was sucking on her blood.

Then all three pulled away from the angels, and one formal angel, and they said, "Save me." All three were just scared then. When they meant 'save them' did they mean that they were going to eat them? The fear was too much for them to find out.

Ichigo pushed Kish away with her able arm and started running. Lettuce and Pudding did the same with Sardon and Tart. They ran and went up the stairs, too scared to worry about the others. As they were running, Kish, Sardon, and Tart were still at the place where the girls pushed them. They were completely still until the over powering feelings started to boil over; sadness for Sardon, anger for Tart, and hatred for Kish. Sardon looked hurt and discarded, Tart gripped his fist together and then punched the wall, and Kish clenches his fists so tight that his own hand started to bleed and he bit his lip; that started to bleed too. Then they disappeared.

Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding ran outside the café and when they were only twenty feet away, three black portals, in their own style, appeared and revealed the agents too fast for the girls to blink. They stepped back in fear and they had half a mind to run back into the café. Then they heard music, but not just any music; the agent's music. It caused Lettuce's and Pudding's ears to hurt as it continued.

_Animal I have Become__, by Three Days Grace_

_I can't escape this hell_

Kish disappeared for a short moment, only to appear in front of Ichigo to shove her straight for a tree. Her back hit it first and she collapsed to the ground in terrible pain. The attack almost cracked her spine. Tart charged at Pudding and tried to slice her but she jumped back before he could. The second time didn't work. He's too fast that Pudding ended up with a slice on her stomach before she noticed the second attack. He stopped as she took steps back, holding her bleeding stomach. Sardon charged at Lettuce from the side and punched her stomach. She gagged and leaned over, vomiting stomach acid.

_  
So many times I've tried  
But I'm still caged inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself_

Then the angels were attacked again. Kish charged at Ichigo and kicked her. She went flying to the top of the tree. She looked down and he was gone again. She quickly jumped of the tree just in time before Kish sliced every branch off that tree. Tart this time, tried to slice her right in half but he missed her by a few hairs. Part of her clothing was torn and a hole in the ground was added. Lettuce used her strength, despite her being lightheaded, to get up step away from Sardon. He got a blast ready and aimed it at her. She dodged it and as it flew up in the air, it exploded.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me?  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal  
(This animal, this animal)_

_  
_Tart disappeared again to appear in front of her and his arm was around her neck. He started strangling her, but not too much so that she can breathe only a little. Then after a tiny bit, his hold got gentle and he started singing the words in her ear as she was moaning off in pain of his touch and his words.

_I can't escape myself  
(I can't escape myself)  
So many times I've lied  
(So many times I've lied)  
But there's still rage inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself_

Tart let her go and then grabbed her arm to flip her over. She went flying through the air and she landed on the ground like a rock; bouncing a little but hard on the gravel and eventually rolling on the ground. This time, she couldn't get up. Sardon grabbed Lettuce's leg and tossed her towards a tree. Her back hit it and she collapsed on her side, too weak to get up as well. Sardon walked to her and started rubbing her arm. She looked up at him and she saw his sad eyes as he sang the words to her.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me?  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal_

Sardon picked up her arm and with his strength, broke it in two. She screamed out in pain of it as tears started rolling down her face. Sardon did not look sad for her. Kish came back from the tree and grabbed Ichigo's throat. He forced her down and started strangling her again. Then he started singing to stopped strangling her and she coughed then took deep breathes for air. Then from the center of his palm, the sharp ends of needles came half way out. He grabbed both of her wrists and held them down far away from her body. Then in one second, he forced those nails to go through her wrists and pin her down. She screamed from the pain as blood started oozing out the holes in her wrists. He let her wrists go and touched her face. His hands felt fiery hot against her skin as he touched her forehead, her cheek, her chin, and then her neck.

_Somebody help me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself  
Somebody wake me from this nightmare  
I can't escape this hell_

_(This animal, this animal, this animal, this animal, this animal, this animal, this animal)_

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me?  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal  
(This animal I have become)_

Too weak to fight, the girls just lie there as Sardon picked up Lettuce's broken arm, Tart picked up Pudding's hand, and Kish leaned over towards Ichigo's neck. Each agent said something before they revealed their fangs for the bite.

"You yelled at me," Tart told Pudding, angrily. Pudding looked up at him as he glared at her with anger filled eyes.

Sardon told Lettuce, "You kissed him." She gasped, now figuring it out.

Finally, Kish said, "You said you hated me." Ichigo's heart ached more than her arms as could feel Kish's hot breathe breathed on her. Sardon and Tart opened their mouth to bite them, then…

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!"

Sardon and Tart stopped just in time to escape Zakuro's whip of light. Kish kept on going because he felt no danger from the whip. But he did feel danger from something else.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!"

He looked up to get away from the arrow too. He jumped off of Ichigo and she looked to her right to see all three agents land on the ground together. Sardon is standing up, Tart is at least leaning over, and Kish is on all fours. When Mew Mint and Mew Zakuro saw them, they gasped in surprise of the sudden change.

Mint asked, "Kisshu…? Is that you...?" All he did was growl at her. Weakly, Lettuce and Pudding looked up to see their agents and from the lost of blood, all three girls were breathing hard and they felt really hot and light headed.

As sad as always, Sardon said, "If you want to fight then we'll finish it quickly."

Tart added, "Because we're still hungry."

"And we want _them_," Kish finished. All three girls could feel the pain in their chests throbbing.

Zakuro asked, "You think you have time for that." She pointed up and all three looked up to see a cloud finally revealing the sun. The sun light was released and all three tried to cover themselves with their arms.

"AAAHHH!" they screamed in pain as everyone saw what Ichigo once saw; steam or smoke rising from their bodies like they were being cooked. Before the burn got bad, they teleported away in their own style.

After that, Mint ran to Ichigo to check how she is. She suddenly stopped when she saw the nails in her wrists. She covered her mouth in shock and breathed out, "Oh my god." She gathered her courage and told her, "Don't worry! I know it hurts but when I get the nails out, they'll be healed."

"They can't."

Mint and Zakuro looked up to see Keiichiro leaning on the door with one hand over his neck wound. He was still in pain so he collapsed to his knees and moaned. Scared, Zakuro ran to him and looked at his wound. She saw exactly what the other girls saw before her.

She didn't have to say anything. Keiichiro shook his head and explained, "Those nails came from Kish's own body. If you take them out and try to heal her, it won't work. Anything that has to do with their hellish power or saliva cannot be healed by our healing powers. The tainted powers within those agents have just gotten stronger and the only way that could've happen is that they lost their human hearts." Ichigo's, Lettuce's, and Pudding's eyes widen in shock of hear that.

'_Lost…their human hearts?'_

Then from a great deal of blood lost, they closed their eyes and fell into a world of unconsciousness and pain.


	29. Nightmares and Truths

**A/N: Finally the wait if FINALLY over!!!! Hooray!! I am so sorry for taking so long but here you go!! I don't know what to do to make it up for you, but maybe a soon to be story will come running in side by side with this one! You'll see what I'm taking about when my other story, 'Betrayal Reveals Love' is over.**

**Kuro: We'll aren't you just happy about that, huh?**

**Tsukiko: Yes I am because that was originally your story and with that out of the way, I can finally focus on this one. This one still has about maybe seven or eight more chapters after this one, depending on the situation.**

**Kuro: What do you mean by that?**

**Tsukiko: I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming! These two stories are close to an end, hooray!! Thank you and please enjoy!**

**Kuro: Tsukiko…What's going on in that brain of yours?....**

_When nothing else makes sense, will you do the one thing you should have done along time ago?_

Ch. 29: Nightmares and Truths

There was one thing that Mint and Zakuro know. They can't take their wounded comrades to a hospital no matter how wounded they are. If they do and say that it was a serial killer attack, then not only will the press be all over them with questions on how they survived but also Lettuce wouldn't be able to come back because of her parents.

Soon after Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding fainted, Keiichiro instructed Mint and Zakuro to help the girls while he goes and helps Ryou. Mint desperately wanted to help Ryou as well but she knows that she has to help her friends. Zakuro forced Keiichiro to rest for a few quick minutes before he goes to work because of his neck wound. Quickly and carefully, she bandaged up his neck wound after she cleaned it and then she let him go. He was grateful for that but then they had to go to work before their friends die.

Having some idea on how to treat them, Mint pulled the nails out of Ichigo's wrists and quickly tied the wrists up individually nice and tight so that hopefully the wound would stop bleeding. Mint noticed that Ichigo's shoulder is broken and since it was caused by force and not powers or saliva, she was able to heal that with her powers after she transformed. Besides that, there were some cuts and bruises on her so she used her powers to see if she can heal that. She was able to heal the bruises but not the cuts. She had to bandage those ups just in case.

Zakuro took over both Pudding and Lettuce since Mint took a while to get the nails out of Ichigo's wrists. Also, she knows that Mint is desperately worried about Ryou and Zakuro is actually faster in bandaging a person because she has more experience. Lettuce and Pudding transformed back into humans soon after they fell unconscious so Zakuro really had to hurry. She started with Lettuce and the first thing she reacted to was the head wound she has. She tried to use her healing powers hoping that it was hit by the wall but because Sardon licked her head injury to taste her blood, it wouldn't heal. She bandaged the head up as fast as she could; seeing that she wasted time on trying to heal it. However, she noticed that her arm is broken like a snapped twig so she healed that with her powers. Thankfully, that healed perfectly. The rest were bruises and cuts so she healed the bruises but bandaged the cuts.

Next was Pudding. Judging by the burns, she was touched by Tart. There were burns on her neck, her hand, and her stomach. She couldn't heal those and since there are some burns on her wrist, she can't heal that either. She tightly tied the wrist to stop the bleeding and she tried to heal the bruises she got. The rest was bandaged up.

After they were done, they carefully carried them up to individual rooms that they can rest on. They laid Ichigo in her room as they let Lettuce and Pudding lay in two rooms that they were sure that weren't used since they were there. When they finished and they closed the room behind them, Zakuro said, "Why not you go check to see Keiichiro needs help with Ryou. He is wounded after all."

Mint looked at her surprised, but asked, "What about you?"

Zakuro gave her a soft, reassuring smile as she told her, "Don't worry. I'll watch the girls while you're gone. I know you want to be there anyway."

Mint nodded and told her, "Thank you, onee-sama." Then she ran off down the stairs and towards the basement.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

'_Koneko-chan!'_

_The thirteen year old, Ichigo turned around and she saw little five year old Dren running towards her in the field of flowers. The scenery is beautiful with its clear blue skies, the rainbow fields of red, green, orange, and blue flowers, and it just gave off a nice peaceful feeling. She was beyond shocked with the scenery and that he is like how he was when she last saw him and she's thirteen but seeing him alive is what brought tears in her eyes. Happy to see her best friend and her first love, she turned completely around to face him and she smiled and waved at him._

'_Dren-kun! Over here!'_

_He smiled too and then his expression became blank as a knife went right through his little body. Ichigo gasped in horror and froze as she watched Dren's body fall to the ground. The skies changed from peaceful blue to dark red and the flowers all around her just died. All it was now is a wasted land as someone came out of the darkness and walked over to Dren's dead body. He pulled the knife out and it was dripping with blood. Ichigo looked from the knife drench in blood to the one holding it; thirteen year old Kisshu._

_She mumbled in shock and fear, 'Kiss…hu…why?'_

_He answered with a smile that at first she longed to see but now scares her, 'So that I can have you to myself. You didn't think that I would allow the one person who can take you away from me to live do you?' She started shaking and took a step back. He lost his smile and reached for her. 'Don't go, honey,' he told her. He took a step forward and gained back his smile as he told her, 'We're together now. I love you, Ichigo. More than anything.'_

_As much as she wanted to believe those words, she couldn't. She just saw him kill Dren right before her eyes. Then something weird happened._

_Dren's body moved. He picked himself up and looked at her with the same smile Kisshu has. He told her, 'I'm not dead, Ichigo. Sure he killed me the day that you two meet but over time, I came back to life thanks to you. I love you, koneko-chan.'_

_Now she's confused. She relaxed a bit and now she noticed that something's weird about Dren and Kisshu. They almost look alike. Then something sliced Dren in the back and he fell to the ground again. At the same time, a hand went right through Kisshu's chest from behind and he fell forward to. Ichigo was even more scared then ever when she saw both of their bodies fall to the ground._

'_However, they're both gone now, kitty.'_

_She looked up from the two fallen bodies and she saw Kish with his big grin that revealed his sharp white teeth. His razor sharp claws were covered in blood; one with Dren's blood and one with Kisshu's blood. His left hand however had blood all the way up to his elbow. His skin is the color of the pale moon on a full moon night and his eyes were the color of the blood puddles that both Kisshu's and Dren's body were creating._

_Kish told her, 'Thanks to you, they're both dead and they're never coming back.'_

'_Me?!' she asked, surprised. 'I didn't kill them! I just saw you killing them!'_

_He pointed a bloody finger at her hands and asked, 'Then why are your hands covered in their blood?' She looked at her hands and sure enough, they were covered in blood. One hand blood on her fingers and the other had blood all the way to her elbow. She didn't have to guess on whose blood are on her hands._

_Tears leaked out of her eyes from the corner and her voice rang out though the valley, causing Kish to smirk even more. "EEEEYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Ichigo! Ichigo!"

Ichigo woke up with a start as she looked up at the one who woke her up from the terrible nightmare; Mint. Ichigo was taking in deep breathes and sweat was pouring down her face as Mint used her hands to gently touch her face in comfort.

"It's okay," she said in a sweet, gentle tone. "The nightmare is gone. There's nothing here." Ichigo calmed down a bit and then she started crying.

"Mint!" she called, sitting up and hugging her. Mint was surprised by this as Ichigo held onto her and started sobbing.

Mint started rubbing her back in comfort as she told her, "It's okay. It's okay. I'm here. Tell me what happened."

Ichigo tried to calm down but her sobs keep getting in the way. She mumbled with a cracked high pitch voice, "I saw Dren-kun. Still the same as the last time I saw him and then I saw Kisshu kill him. Kisshu was telling me that he loves me and we can be together now. Then Dren comes back to life telling me that slowly he was coming back to life. Then I saw Kish kill both of them and he told me I killed them! There was blood on my hands and I screamed."

Mint was shocked to hear that as she asked, "Is that it?" Ichigo nodded and stared sobbing again.

She tried to talk. "I'm so sorry for treating you badly. I was just so upset and I let my hatred took over! It's my fault that this whole thing came up! If I didn't acknowledge Kisshu when we first met, Dren might still be alive. Then that way, Kisshu wouldn't have gotten involved with me and he would still be here! It's my fault! It's…all…my…….fault." Then she let out louder cries and Mint was starting to feel the tears go through her shirt and touch her skin like frozen needles.

She pushed Ichigo away and put her hands on her friend's shoulder. She told her, "Hey, hey! Look at me, Ichigo." Ichigo wiped her eyes with her hands and looked up at Mint. Mint told her, "Look, there is something I need to tell you. I should have told you a long time ago but he made me promise not to tell." Ichigo stopped her crying and looked at her surprised in thinking that she knows what Mint is going to tell her.

Since she stopped, Mint put her arms down to explained, "The day you saw Kisshu and I kissed, I saw him in the park walking by himself. So I fallowed him. I wanted answers so I jumped out of the car and I ran after him through crowds of people. Then when we were in a deserted area, I called for him. He wasn't shocked to see me like I thought he would be. I guess he knew I was fallowing him so he tried to lose me in the crowd. He told me that he wasn't here to fight but I told him that I didn't want to fight. I wanted answers on what the heck was going on. I convinced him to give me truthful answers. My first question is why he suddenly hated you. He told me that he still loved you but because he's an agent and you're an angel, he can't be with you. My next question was if he really killed your first love, Dren. He said yes. He stabbed him through the heart and he was calling your name with his last breath. He looked so heartbroken he told me." Ichigo gasped at that. It was similar to what happened in her dream. "I asked him if he really killed your parents and he said yes so that you would be an easier target to destroy. But that was a lie." Ichigo looked at her confused as Mint told her, "He didn't know that he killed your parents until later. I know that because if he really did, why would he be so happy with you when he knows that he took away the most precious things from you? The reason why he told you that he killed your parents and Dren was to hurt you so that you can be free. He didn't want you to cry out for him or to shed your own blood for him when he doesn't even deserve it after causing you so much misery. That was the truth because the way his face was after I asked him that, I hit the mark perfectly."

Ichigo tried to finish the rest. "Then that means that I came in and saw you two after you explain that. I came when he looked shocked and you were waiting for something. Then he calmed down and said that this is how it should be. Then to stop him, you confessed your love to him and then you kissed him." Just remembering that somehow felt like poison that burned the veins connected to her heart.

"Yeah, but do you want to know the reason why I told him that?" Mint asked her. Ichigo nodded and she answered, "I said that because I was willing to do anything just to make him stay and be with you. I didn't like it when I saw you force a smile on your face when you were distress that he was gone, I didn't like it when you said you're fine when you're not, I didn't like it when you cried because of his untrue words of hate, and I hate it when your heart gets broken with everything he does. I wanted you two to be how you both were; so in love and happy." Ichigo was just stunned by her words. Her confession actually explained a lot. So Mint liked Kisshu before but she only told him that she loves him so that Kisshu and Ichigo could be together?

"Mint!"

Both Mint and Ichigo looked at the door from the sound of Zakuro's voice. She added, "Something changed in Ryou. He's sweating and he see seems to be having a nightmare." Instantly, Mint got up and ran to the door. She opened it and ran down the hall. Zakuro looked in and she saw Ichigo up and awake. "You're awake. That's good."

Ichigo asked, "What happened?"

Zakuro answered, "Ryou was attacked by the agents and he lost a lot of blood. Because it was by unholy powers, Keiichiro is trying to save him the slow human way. It's the same reason why your wrists are still wounded." Ichigo looked at her wrists and she saw the bandages on them; along with hundreds of other bandaids on her whole body.

She sat at the edge of the bed and asked, "Where is Ryou now?"

"In his room." After she answered that, Ichigo got up and ran. Zakuro didn't stop her or even made a move to stop her. She just turns around and watches her run.

Ichigo ran to Keiichiro's room with its door still open and she looked inside to see Keiichiro starting to treat Ryou in many ways as Mint was standing up away from the bed, shaking like a leaf in worry. Her eyes reverted back to Ryou and just like Zakuro said, there was a blood transfer machine connected to him that was giving him blood and from what she could see, bandages on his neck and his upper arm. He looked pale and he looked like he's having a nightmare.

"What's going on?" she asked, worried about her dying, slave driving boss.

Mint and Keiichiro looked up at her in surprise that she's up and about. Keiichiro answered, "The agents must have injected him with something because he's getting nightmares and it's making his condition worst."

She walked into the room and asked, "Injected him with what?"

"I don't know. Maybe some type of venom that the agents gained."

Keiichiro went back to work as Mint continued to stare at Ryou in worry. Ichigo put her hand on Mint and she looked at her. Then as if changing jobs, Ichigo pulled Mint into a hug for comfort. Mint leaned against her, scared out of her wits.

"Light in the darkness, darkness in the light."

All three looked at Ryou on confusion as he continued to mumble confusing things. "Love becomes hate, hate becomes love. Angels become humans, agents become humans. Good becomes evil, evil becomes good." Then he stopped. That was confusing as Keiichiro turned towards the girls.

"Can you two leave for the moment?" he asked.

Ichigo nodded and lead Mint out of the room. She closed the door when they were out and flinched in pain. Mint turned towards her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The wrists just hurt is all," she answered.

Mint suggested, "How about you go back to your room and rest? You shouldn't be moving after going through a painful experience."

Ichigo let out a laugh and said, "Yeah, tell me about it. Are Lettuce and Pudding awake?" Mint shook her head.

"No," she answered. "Right after we got you in and Keiichiro finished bandaging Ryou up, both him and onee-sama worked on some sutras or talisman that is protecting the café with holy powers. Since the agent's powers have increased, Keiichiro needed help from onee-sama to have enough holy energy to make a powerful barrier. No one can leave for a while and no one can enter. We decided to close the café and I called my family saying that I need to stay at work for as long as needed. We also called Lettuce's parents and told them that Lettuce got sick and can't come home for a while. They offered to take her home and take care of her themselves, but Keiichiro convinced them to think otherwise."

"I see. Like master, like servant." Both Mint and Ichigo laughed a little with that.

Mint asked, out of curiosity, "What Ryou said, what do you think it means?"

Ichigo answered, "Since I can't fight, I'll try and figure those out. Maybe the agents injected something else into him instead of venom. Maybe a cry for help."

"But Keiichiro said that the reason why we couldn't heal your major wounds because of their unholy powers or saliva. That could only happen when an agent lost his good or his human heart."

"Doesn't mean that it's dead. I'll ask Ryou when he wakes up. Hopefully whatever nightmare he had, he remembers it."

"Okay then," Mint said, giving up.

Ichigo nodded and started headed back to her room to rest. She stopped half way and turned around towards Mint. "Mint!"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for telling me what happened. I feel more at ease now that you've told me the truth. I don't blame you for holding it back. You were just keeping your promise but I guess since things have gotten really bad, you can't hold it anymore, right?" It was Mint's turn to be stunned by Ichigo's words as she smiled at her. "That's honesty and I like it." Ichigo wave and then continued on her way back to her room. Mint couldn't help but smile at her from behind. One less chain to hold down a trapped bird who wants to be free.

When Ichigo went back into her room, she didn't sit back on her bed. She sat down at her desk and went to her pile of papers that she put to the side. She grabbed another paper and a pen. She started writing down everything that Ryou said.

'_Light in the darkness, darkness in the light.'_

'_Love becomes hate, hate becomes love.'_

'_Angels become humans, agents become humans.'_

'_Good becomes evil, evil becomes good.'_

When she was finished, she put the pen down and leaned back against her chair, analyzing the paper. Sure her wrists hurt from gripping so many things but she already went through hell with the wounds that Kish gave her when he was trying to kill her. She put the paper down, not getting anything from those phrases and her eyes reverted to the yellow package still at the corner of her desk.

'_What else do I have to lose?'_ she thought as she reached for the package. She opened it and thought, _'I should have opened this a long time ago.'_

She took two other packages out, just like Pai told her. There was one that said, 'read first!' She figured that Taruto probably wrote that. What made her curious was that the second one that she's not supposed to read yet, feels like it's filled with papers and other stuff like that while the first one felt heavy and hard. She opened the first one and out came… a journal?

'_I never thought of Kisshu to be someone who writes things down in journals.'_

It looked used that's for sure and it's nearly finished. She opened the first page and started reading the first entry.

"_**Dear Journal, You don't mind if I called you a different name, do you? It's just that writing 'Dear Journal' a lot is going to make this whole thing sound boring. How about… Tomodachi?**_

_**Anyway, I'm really excited about tomorrow. I actually get to go to school for the first time in a while! You might think that this is weird but I haven't been to a school for about three years. My older brother, Pai has been giving me books about what kids my age are supposed to know before entering school. But going to a place to learn and get bored is not what I'm excited about. It's the person I get to see. It's a long story but when I was little, there was someone that I deeply cared about. We've been separated for a while and now I finally get to see her after so long. I wonder if she recognizes me. It has been a while since the last time we've seen each other but I'm confident that she'll know me at first sight.**_

_**Well I have to go now. Maybe one day I'll tell you everything about my life but right now, nii-san is irritating me with what people I have to stay away from and to keep an open mind. I don't know what the heck his problem is.**_

_**Sincerely, now Kisshu.**_

''_Now Kisshu?' What the hell does he mean by that?'_ Ichigo wondered. She looked up at the date and this first entry was the day right before they met five years ago. Things just keep getting weirder and weirder.

Curious about what else happened or what other information Kisshu might have kept, she turned the next page and the next entry was about a week after the last one. You usually enter one entry a day so why did he miss a week? One thing Ichigo did know that the next entry was at least a week's worth of an entry.


	30. New Powers? Maybe Not

Ch. 30: New Powers? Maybe Not

…_**I'm so irritated because I don't know what the hell is going on at nights and nii-san is nagging me about this and that about making sure that I'm home by nightfall! I never make it and when I could remember what the hell happened, I'm in my room as if I was sleeping and I have unfinished homework. Oh well, I always got time to do it before each class because I have done a lot of studying over the summer brakes. But still, this is hell on earth and I have no idea what's the cause.**_

_**Hopefully, I'll get more ideas of what's happening and you're the first person I'll tell…or thing.**_

_**Sincerely, Kisshu**_

Ichigo has been reading the journal for about a couple of hours now and she's gotten really far. She went from the time they first met to Kisshu wanting to know what the heck was going on with not remembering what happens at nights. The date tells her that this entry was at least a few days before they met Lettuce. There were some entries that were very interesting like when Ichigo agreed to be his girlfriend, Kisshu wrote down that he was so happy he felt like he could kiss Taruto and Pai good night with no shame and then dance all night. It took Ichigo a few ten minutes to calm down from laughing when she read that. Then when he was writing down about the stupid argument they both had about going over to Kisshu's house, there were so many scratches, holes, and tears it was unbelievable that the page survived or that she could even read it. He apparently remembered the argument when he was writing and it made him irritated as all hell.

"Ichigo-san!!" She hears Keiichiro calling. She looks at the closed door as he tells her, "Dinner's ready!"

Ichigo yells back, "Okay!" She takes an anonymous paper from her desk and uses that as book mark so that she doesn't lose her page. She stands up and leaves her room, closing the door behind her. Her wrists still hurt but she's been dealing with the pain for the past few hours reading.

As she walks down the hall towards the stairs, she hears what sounds like a struggle from Lettuce's room. Fearing the worst, she runs to her room and enters without knocking. Inside, she sees Lettuce trashing on her bed and she looks like Ryou, only worst. Her head is sweating, staining her covers, there's blood on the covers as well from trashing so much that she opened her wounds, she's biting her lip from whatever nightmare she's having, her hair is all damp, and Ichigo can see red sweat rolling down her face like red glass. If she doesn't stop, she could really get hurt than she already is. Ichigo runs to her and sits down on the side of the bed. She grabs Lettuce's shoulders and shakes her.

"Lettuce! Wake up! You hear me?!" she yells. This time she shakes harder as she yells again, "Wake up, Lettuce!" Because she shook her hard enough, Lettuce's eyes pop open and she tries to breath to calm down her racing heart.

Her big blue eyes stare up at Ichigo and she mumbles out her name in a soft whisper. "Ichi…go?"

Ichigo lets out a sigh and smiles at her deep friend. "Thank god you're awake. You scared me." Lettuce tries to sit up and Ichigo's get worried about her making that move. She just woke up so she probably shouldn't be moving that much, but yet again Ichigo did the same thing. When Lettuce was already sitting up, Ichigo places her hands on Lettuce's shoulders and tells her, "Lie back down. You're not ready to be off and wondering about."

_Sob_

_Sob_

Ichigo saw a single tear fall from Lettuce's and she watched it fuse with the comforter. She looks up at her face and she sees huge balls of tears leaking out of Lettuce's eyes and rolling down her cheek like crystal marbles. Ichigo asks, "Lettuce? Lettuce, what's wrong?" Even though she asked that, she has a feeling of what was wrong. "Did you have a nightmare about Pai?"

Lettuce nods, not wondering how she got that answer right, and she starts sobbing. She lowers her head and says, "I saw…I saw…everything. The reason why he has so much sadness in his heart. It was all so…heartbreaking. How could someone so kind as him deal with that?!" Then her water broke. All of her tears escaped through her eyes and nose and they traveled down her face and fused with her comforter.

Ichigo became confused by that. Lettuce's dream seems to be a dream about something drastic that happened in Pai's life while Ichigo had a dream about Dren being killed by Kisshu, coming back to life, and both of them getting killed by Kish. It wasn't a piece of his past that's for sure, right?

Ichigo goes to her pocket and she finds her handkerchief. She uses the handkerchief to wipe away Lettuce's snot and her tears. She tells her, "There, there, Lettuce. Calm down, alright?" Lettuce looks up at her as Ichigo was wiping away the last tear that escaped from her left eye. "Now tell me what happened," Ichigo says, putting her hand against Lettuce's face. Then something weird happen but Lettuce didn't look at Ichigo's face to see it.

She looked down at the comforter and tells her, "It seemed that it happened a long time ago. Probably six years ago. I saw Pai-sensei and Taruto-kun. There seemed to be family problems. They had no father because he died in a car accident while trying to get to their mom when she was in labor with Taruto-kun. She was so depressed that not even the birth of a new son would bring her happiness. So Pai-sensei took care of him. I only saw things from Pai-sense's point of view and I saw him taking care of Taruto, trying to help his depressed mom, and studying. He was willing to give up school just to help his family but then he got a transferred to college right after middle school. He didn't have any friends because he was so smart and he didn't seem to have time for them. He also had this teacher that gave him high school homework just because she thought he was so cute and that he can handle it. Then their mom went crazy. She started breaking every wine glass that she drank and she was yelling at Pai-sensei for leaving her. Taruto-kun got hurt a few times too, but then Pai-sensei pushed her away from him and her head hit the side of the table. Of course, he called for the hospital but it was too late. She died and he took the whole blame even though the police confirmed it as an accident considering they also saw Taruto-kun's wounds. They were going to take them away for adoption but when they saw his school grades and that he's going to college, they let them be. I know that the way that I'm saying it is not anything too terrible but I felt his feelings from those visions. The feeling of irritation of his mother's attitude, the pressure of taking care of his little brother while he was trying to study, the loneliness he felt when he had no one but his brother, and the blame he took from his mother's death. Those feelings are the reason why I was crying. It was all…all…so painful and sad." She looked up at Ichigo and quickly says, "I also believe that these memories he has are the reason why he's so sad!" She gasps when she sees Ichigo's shock, blank expression.

Ichigo's eyes look miles and miles away as if she's in a trance. Lettuce started to get worried as Ichigo's hands are still pressing against the skin on her head. She grabs her hands and asks, "Ichigo-san! What's wrong? Ichigo-san!" When Lettuce pulled her hands away from her head, Ichigo snapped back into reality.

Ichigo looks at Lettuce and her eyes are still wide. She mumbles, "I saw what you said as if I…" Lettuce is shock too when she could see what Ichigo is getting at. Ichigo finished, "I saw Pai, Taruto, and I saw Kisshu but what's confusing is that Kisshu is their brother and he wasn't born from the same mother or father. It's fuzzy but all I saw was the past."

Lettuce asks, "What does this mean, Ichigo-san?!"

"Either all of a sudden, I can see things that already happened or you're sending the memories to me," Ichigo suggested.

"What do you think we can do to test it?"

"Pudding!"

Pudding hasn't woken up yet and if by any chance Tart sent her memories of his past, then maybe it can help put the pieces together. It was already confusing enough with the journal that she's reading and that is not making sense at all, especially with the first entry. That was already confusing her with the meeting of a long time friend who happens to be a girl and how he wrote, _'Now Kisshu'_ at the end. But yet again, Pudding might not have anything since Ichigo doesn't have any memories that Kish might have sent her. But doesn't the journal count for something?

Lettuce asks, "Then shall we go see if she's awake?" Without Ichigo answering, she swings her legs to the side and tries to stand up. She ended up sitting back down because she didn't completely gain back her strength.

Ichigo puts her hands on her shoulders and asks, "How about you stay here and rest a little longer? After I test on Pudding, then I'll bring you both your dinners, alright?"

Lettuce shook her head for no. "I can handle, Ichigo-san. Pai-sensei giving me these memories must mean that he hasn't lost his heart! I'm going to help him in any way possible!"

Ichigo blinks in surprise but not by Lettuce's declaration, but because of what she said. _'Keiichiro says that for the agents' powers to have suddenly become so powerful is because they lost their human hearts. If Pudding did gain Taruto's memories then it could also mean that they needed to get rid of their human memories and who else better than to give those painful memories to those who they cared about the most? But yet again, that doesn't make sense since Kisshu didn't give me anything besides that dream, unless that was his own way of getting rid of his human heart for good!'_

Lettuce tries to stand up again and she makes it. She turns towards Ichigo and asks, "Shall we go?" Ichigo, still pretty shock nods. She stands up and tries to help Lettuce on walking but she keeps insisting that she doesn't need it.

They walk out of her room and down the hallway towards where Pudding should be staying. Ichigo figured that since Lettuce was in her old room that she stayed at when she was depressed, Pudding might be in her old room as well.

They knocked first, but there was no answer. They let themselves in and all they could see is Pudding sleeping on her side with her back towards the door. Ichigo asks Lettuce, "If someone is wounded, they wouldn't sleep on their side right?" Ichigo walked into Pudding's room without an answer because she already knows it. She walks to Pudding's side and sits down. "Pudding? I know you're awake. Are you okay?" Ichigo's hand goes to Pudding's head and her expression went blank. Just like what happened to Lettuce, one touch at her head and she got visions of things that Pudding saw.

While on the bed, Pudding lifts her head up a bit and there are tears stains on her cheeks, her eyes are puffy, her cheeks red, and her throat scratchy as she says, "I saw it…I saw it all, na no da. The reason why Taruto has so much anger inside of him, na no da." Lettuce hears her and listens as Ichigo watches. "Taruto's mom had problems and when she went crazy because Pai was going to go to college, he tried to stop her and got hurt in the process, na no da. Then Pai pushes her away and she got hit on the head hard, na no da. So hard that she died by the time she reached the hospital, na no da. The police were going to take both Pai and Taruto to an orphanage and that made him angry that he will probably be taken away from his brother, na no da. Then they found out that Pai is a genius so they let them go, na no da. He was happy with that but he got angry again inside because Pai took the blame for his mother's death when it was self defense, na no da. He stayed with his brother at college and he took care of the cooking and cleaning, na no da. It made him forget about his anger a bit when he was doing house chores, na no da. Then when Pai got a doctor's degree and a job at Lettuce onee-chan's school, they found Kisshu on the streets, close to death from starvation and he looked exhausted, na no da. They took him in and fed him, na no da. Then they made him part of the family, na no da. One day, Kisshu was happy to go to school but when he got back, he was depressed and that made Taruto angry that his happy adoptive brother came home as if he just saw someone died, na no da." Lettuce gasps at that as Ichigo could clearly see the depressed, upsetting look on Kisshu's face when Taruto saw him come home. "So much anger because of what his brothers feel and how their lives turned up, na no da. It's frustrating feeling so much anger coming from him, na no da. Taruto…" Then she was going to cry again but someone already beat her too it.

Pudding saw crystal clear tears falling from Ichigo's face. Her eyes are still miles away but tears are leaking out from her eyes and falling on Pudding's comforter. Seeing her tears made Lettuce walk over to the bed and take Ichigo's hand off of Pudding's head. Pudding looks at her surprise and sits up.

"Ichigo onee-chan?" she calls, worried about Ichigo's tears. When Ichigo's fingers were no longer touching Pudding's head, she snaps back to reality. She touches her face and she felt the cold wet feeling of her tears rolling down her face.

She chuckles and asks, "What's this? Tears of pity? Give me a break! Am I the kind of person who would be so weak hearted to pity the man I hate? What a joke!"

"Ichigo-san?" Lettuce asks, worried about her words.

Ichigo shakes her head and gets off the bed. "Come on, you two. Dinner is being served and we haven't had a thing to eat for days. I'm starving. What about you two?"

"Well…na no da," Pudding started, looking at Lettuce concern. She in turned looked at her the same way.

"Then let's go!" After that, Ichigo turns around and starts walking to the door. Seeing that that the conversation has ended, Lettuce helps Pudding stand up and they both went down stairs together.

In the café, Mint, Zakuro, and Keiichiro were there, eating. Mint became the first to see Lettuce and Pudding up and walking. She got up from her table and went up to them. Zakuro and Keiichiro saw them after Mint got up and they were shocked to see Lettuce and Pudding as well. Mint was close to tears as Keiichiro and Zakuro only smiled in relief of their friends' safety. Ichigo moved to the side so that she can watch Mint be overjoyed about Lettuce and Pudding's awakening. She didn't want to get involved because she had other matters on her mind. One of them was that she was trying to erase the image of Kisshu's face five years ago when he came home. It became difficult because now it seemed harder to hate the one person she hated for a long time. She wanted to hate him because she figured that the face meant that Kisshu really did Dren that day but he felt guilty after he did it. Maybe he deserved it after all of the crimes he committed. She knows the number of people he has killed now and two of them were Ichigo's parents. But then how come she can't easily hate him like she did before?

All six of them had dinner and Keiichiro explained to them that they can't go home for a while because now they know who the agent's number one targets are; Lettuce, Pudding, and Ichigo. And if any of them goes to someplace where love ones could be, then their love one's lives will be destroyed. Another reason is because it will disrupt the barrier that Keiichiro and Zakuro brought up to protect all of them. Lettuce and Pudding asked on how Ryou's condition is and all he said is that he has a long way to go before he can wake up. Ichigo noticed that he didn't say anything about the nightmare that Ryou had earlier and he probably did that so that the others wouldn't get worried. Remembering about that actually struck a nerve.

"May I be excuse?" Ichigo asks, standing up. All five look at her as she nervously laughs and says, "I have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back!"

Mint suggests, "I can walk you there if you want."

"I'm fine, Mint!" she tells her. "I'm able to walk in the hallway and go down the stairs so I'm pretty sure that going up the stairs and into the bathroom won't kill me." Her saying the last thing made everyone nervous. But she ignored it and started walking away to the bathroom. The others calmed down and went back to discussing about what to do next.

Actually, she went up the stairs and into Ryou's room. He's still resting on his bed and with the blood transfer still connected to him. The good news is that he's not trashing like before and he seems to be getting some color back to his face. He's recovering and it would be time for him to get up and start ordering her around. Like she's looking forward to that.

Ichigo closes the door behind her and goes to the side of his bed to sit down. She stares at Ryou's face and gulps, nervous. Rather this'll work or not is what she's worried about. He said those strange things before and he had that nightmare. She's certain that Ryou is seeing more than what he's saying. Maybe a way to defeat the devil or a way to stop the killing before there are no humans left in Tokyo. Japan could become a ghost country before the years out if the killing continues.

Ichigo's hand stretches out and reaches for Ryou's forehead. She notices that if she touches the head then the memories or visions will come playing her head like a TV station. But when her hand touched his wet forehead, there was nothing. No visions no nothing.

Ichigo pulls her hand back and mumbles, "No..way. How come I can't do it? I did it before, right? So how come I can't do it now?"

"_**Maybe it's because you're hoping for the wrong things."**_

Ichigo gasps after hearing that. This is the second time she's hearing a voice in her head but this voice is different. Hearing voices caused her to hate the man she came to love and is responsible for this whole mess. As far as Ichigo knows, hearing voices has been nothing but trouble.

She jumps off of the bed and asks, "Who's there?!" This voice didn't answer her. She looks around the room, hoping to see the owner of the voice but the only people in the room is her and an unconscious Ryou.

She calms down a bit and thinks, _'Okay, I'm losing it. Just because it happened once doesn't mean that it will happen again. What the hell is wrong with me?'_

"_**You're only problem is that you keep believing in things that are right for human kind but not to your heart!"**_

Ichigo got tense at that. Yep, this voice is very different from the one she heard before that kept pounding doubt into her. She started shaking her head rapidly and gets out of the room, hoping that she won't hear it anymore when she's out of the room.

She went straight for the bathroom and leans over the sink. She turns on the faucet and splashes her face with water. Her bandages got a little wet and she flinched in pain. She looked at the once white bandages to see blood stain ones. She lets out a sigh and leans over the sink, turning off the water.

'_Calm down, Ichigo! Calm down! Calm down! There is nothing there! There is nothing there…'_ Ichigo thinks.

The voice speaks, _**"Oh really? Look up!"**_ A bit confuses and freak out, she looks up at the mirror and she sees a very shocking sight.

In the reflection of the mirror, she sees herself up when she was an angel. Mew Ichigo is staring at her with her hair up in two pigtails, wearing the same pink outfit, and her white shoulder wings sticking out from behind. The Mew Ichigo looking at her even has a different expression on her face. She looks more upset than the shocked Ichigo in the real world.

Ichigo asks, "You're…You're… me?"

"**Was you, to be exact,"** Mew Ichigo answers her. She looks at Ichigo straight in the eye and says, **"You get your hopes up for the wrong thing! Maybe what you believe in now is right for humanity but it's wrong to your heart. An angel's number one duty is one to his or her heart. You remember the times you used to transform into me, you believed in someone because he believed in you. Then after you stopped and the negative feelings started to swallow you, you were unable to transform. You still can't transform until you fallow your heart!"**

Starting to ignore the fact that she's talking to some illusion, maybe, through the mirror, Ichigo says, "Wait! Hold on a minute here! What are you talking about?" Mew Ichigo lets out a sigh and replaces her upset expression with a sad one.

"**Do you know how an angel doesn't become an angel anymore?"** she asks.

Ichigo looks at the ground from that question. "When an angel loses their purity. I know since I lost my purity because of that stupid bastard!"

"**Even though he took care of you after he adducted you, you still call him that? Did you forget the face he made when you told him that you hated him? You lost any hope in turning back into an angel after you said that and you made him lose his chances in becoming human."**

Ichigo asks, "What are you talking about?" Then the image of Mew Ichigo looked static for a moment. Mew Ichigo gasps and looks at her hands to see it happen again.

She mumbles, **"Damn it! I don't have enough time!"** Wow, even as an angel, Mew Ichigo swears. Mew Ichigo looks up at Ichigo and tells her, **"Listen to me! An angel is not supposed to hate but to love all things. No matter the circumstances. The reason why you were able to gain memories of what people have seen or have is because you started to lose your hatred. You lost it after that one memory. If you want it back so that you can figured out what was wrong with Prince Ryou then you have to gain back the love you once had!"**

Ichigo asks, "Gain back the love? How?!"

"**You're me. You'll figure it out, just like how you figured out that Kisshu didn't know that he's an agent until after he saw you and Ryou together."** Then Mew Ichigo disappeared and Ichigo is now left with her thoughts and knew information.

She mumbles, "Kisshu…saw me and…Ryou? When?!" She gasps when she figured it out. "The day of the dance! Did he try to come back but saw me being comforted by Ryou and thought that I betrayed him?! Then that means that the other reason why he decided to become an agent is because of a broken heart?" After that conclusion, she ran out of the bathroom and goes straight to her bedroom.

She takes out a few sheets of clean paper and starts writing on it with new knowledge; the reasons why the boys decided to fight them in the first place. Obviously, Pai became the first to choose to be an agent since he remembered what he does at night. That was a little tough for Ichigo because all she knows was that when she first saw Mew Lettuce, she attacked them, they forgive each other, laughed and played, and… Pai was probably there and saw them. Ichigo also remembered that Lettuce said that both her and Pai, at first understood each other. They never let others to interfere with their bond. They know what it's like to be so smart that you skipped grades and at first, they know what it's like to suddenly be something that isn't normal. They probably wanted to be normal so that they won't be lonely but when they became agent and angel, they gave up hope and decided to relay on each other.

Taruto was the second one to join because he felt guilty that he killed Pudding's family. From the memories that Pudding saw, Taruto was trying his best to keep his family together. Kisshu said that Taruto is more of the mom in the family because he cooks and he cleans while Pai does the money making. Taruto was annoying at times but he was very caring and he helped Pudding out a lot since they understood the feeling of trying their best to keep the family together. Taruto was even kind enough to have Pudding have all of the tips when they were done but she kept trying on giving him some money for his hard work. He declined every yen of it.

Then Kisshu was the last. He probably wasn't the last since he was fallowing orders from the devil but he didn't know about it or let his human heart make the decision to fallow the devil. But Kisshu is also a confusing one. By the journal, he seems to know a lot about Ichigo but she doesn't remember ever meeting him. The only person she got really close to before him was Dren but he's dead and barely Kisshu and him look anything a lot. Sure they have the same facial looks, the same hair color, the same pale skin, but they have different eyes; Dren's eyes were light sapphire blue and Kisshu's were golden amber. They can't possibly be the same person. But besides that, Kisshu used to tease and bug Ichigo every waking moment of their lives for the past five years. They were even in the same classes together and he always tried to get her to date him but she declined; mostly because he reminded her a lot of Dren but she knows that he's not him. Then when they did date, she became the happiest she has ever been in a long time. He accepted her, her angel powers, and her annoying cat ears and cat tail that pops up every time she gets too excited. They haven't come out in a while but she's not worried about that.

Then Pai left Lettuce after seeing her making new friends and leaving him behind, Taruto left because he doesn't want to hurt Pudding anymore than he already has, and Kisshu left because he thought that Ichigo had feelings for Ryou. Sure Ryou is a good guardian and he could be a pain, but falling in love with him is something that Ichigo is not interested in. Besides, it seems that Mint is falling for him instead of her.

"Mew Ichigo! Mew Ichigo!"

Surprised by the little robotic voice, Ichigo looks up to see Masha hovering over papers and staring at her. She calls, "M-Masha?!"

"Masha here! Masha here!" he cheers. Then she reaches for him and hugs him.

She tells him, "I've missed you so much! Where have you been?!" In fact, she hasn't seen him since the day at Tokyo Tower. That seemed like decades ago.

Masha snuggles in Ichigo's grasp before he tells her, "Master Ryou ordered Masha to find clues!"

Ichigo looks down at the little robot and asks, "Find clues? On what?"

"Clues to prove innocence or clues on who they are! Masha was ordered to find clues on agents without them knowing!" Ichigo gasps at that answer.

She pulls him away and asks, directly, "Ryou asked you to find clues on the agents?"

Masha nods. "Yes! Master Ryou cares for Mew Ichigo that he wanted to help prove the agents' innocence. He doesn't believe that those three deserve to be agents after the pain they've been through!"

Ichigo was shocked by that but she had to ask, "What did you find, Masha?"

"Mission is secret so Masha can't reveal much but tell Mew Ichigo where they live!"

Ichigo rolls her eyes and says, "I guess that's good enough. Tell me!"

"Agents used to live at the house next to where Ichigo used to live! They lived there for five years!" Ichigo couldn't hold the big gasp in her throat from that answer.

'_Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto used to live in…Dren-kun's house?!'_


	31. There Might be Hope After All!

**A/N: Hi everyone!! Sorry that I didn't put an Author's note last time, but I was in such a rush to give you this chapter that I didn't have time. Anyway, I'm having a vote between 'You're a Girl?' and 'The truth is right in front of you, Ichigo.' The one with the most votes gets to go after 'Betrayal Reveals Love' is done. But since it is and I have a tie between the two, you got until Monday to vote.**

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming so that they can inspire Tsukiko to write more.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_Sometimes the past can change the future. But it won't change the hearts that are not there, right?_

Ch. 31: There Might be Hope After All!

"_Hello, there!"_

"_Hey long time no see!"_

"_Can you believe it?! It's the first day of middle school!"_

"_Yeah, I'm so excited! I feel so nervous, I think that I'm going to hyperventilate!"_

'_**The person who is going to hyperventilate is me!'**__ Ichigo thought, watching how everyone just grouped up and started talking with one another; all but her. Even the girls she talked to the most last year didn't come up to talk to her. She just sat on her desk, she thinks, and just has this unapproachable aura._

"_Okay, class! Class will be starting shortly!" the teacher announce, coming in. The students went to their desks and then Ichigo let out a sigh. She spend all of her time sitting down on her desk when she could've been interacting with people. Such a waste and a shame._

"_Now I will take attendance," the teacher announced as she opened her black note book and started looking for the attendance page._

_**Boom**_

_Everyone at their desks jumped from that. Most of them turned around immediately as Ichigo is a little too frozen to move and see who just came in about twenty seconds after class started._

_There was a sheepish voice that shuttered, "I-I'm sorry, se-se-sensei! I-I-I got lost!"_

_The teacher smiled at the student and tells him, "It's okay. You're right on time so you can take a seat." Apparently the only open seat is the one right next to Ichigo. She saw that out of the corner of her eyes. Figuring that she's going to have the almost-tardy student as a neighbor, she decides to turn around. Apparently when she turned around to see the student, he already had his eyes on her in awe._

_He has short dark emerald green hair, pale skin, a skinny figure, and he has the most beautiful amber eyes Ichigo has ever seen. His big amber eyes are starting right at her dark chocolate ones. The way he's wearing his school uniform made him look like a bad boy. Ichigo took another look at him and she has to admit that he's a little hot. But the one who blushed first was Kisshu._

_The sensei asked, "Can you take a seat now, young man?" Kisshu turned completely red and ran to his seat after she asks that._

_Ichigo heard him mumble, "I'm sorry!" After he said that, Ichigo started to giggle. Kisshu looked up at her and she smiles at him. He tried to smile at her but he was too dazzled by her to keep the smile on his face._

"_Oh shoots!" the teacher mumbles under her breath. The whole class looks up at her as she starts looking at the other books that she has on her desk. "I can't find the attendance book! That was the wrong one! Oh! Where is it?" As she was looking for the book, one of the students finally decided to be nice to Ichigo._

_A student passes Ichigo a folded note and Ichigo opens it and reads it. It said, __**"Ichigo-san, I know that you probably don't know me but I think you should know that you should stay as far away from that boy as possible! I heard rumors that he's a young gang leader and that he beat up five people about three days before school started for no reason! Just thought you should know!"**__ A good, respectable girl would've thrown away the note and believe what she sees instead of what she hears or sees, but Ichigo didn't._

_With the note still in hand, Ichigo was shaking. She looks up to the side to get a quick look at him and Kisshu caught her. He in fact, blushed when he caught her looking at him. She turned the other way, too afraid to face him now._

_During the first class, Ichigo was extremely nervous and she was giving off a tense aura. She actually barely paid attention in class and when the teacher called her, she gave off weird answers. That made the whole class laughs at her, all except for Kisshu. He mostly glared at the ones who were laughing at her and they shut up. Ichigo saw that and that only added more fear to her heart. Then after school, Ichigo was taken in by a group of girls who were telling her that Kisshu wouldn't keep his eyes off her. He kept staring at her like a shiny new prize. It added more fear but at the same time, some anger. Then a boy approached Kisshu._

"_Hey, you're new here right?" the boy asked him._

_Kisshu raised a brow and asks, "That's right."_

"_But that can't be true since apparently the whole school knows that you're a gang leader who beat up at least five gangs at once! I got to admit though, that's a little amazing."_

_Kisshu went back to packing up his bag as he tells him, "You shouldn't believe everything that you hear. Gossip isn't always true so if you really want to know someone, then you should get to know them instead of rely everything on other students who could easily make them up."_

"_Well, then I guess I should tell you a few things." Kisshu looks up at him and he saw the boy get a fist get ready. "There's a few of us boys who want you to back off because a gangster could easily take over the school."_

"_And these other boys all fall into the smart, athletic, 'gorgeous' department?"_

"_Thanks for the compliment, and yes."_

_Kisshu rolls his eyes and picks up his bag. He tells them, "You're all pathetic, but you look the most foolish one of them all. Thanks for the heads up." Then he started to walk away but he angered the jock. The jock lifted his fist and got ready to punch him._

"_You're dead, gangster!" he tells him. Right before he could hit him, Kisshu moves to the side and then hits his stomach. The jock gags in pain and that was when everyone saw them; Kisshu with his fist hit his stomach. Everyone gasps at the sight and some of the girls already started squealed in fear._

_Ichigo rushes towards them and pushes Kisshu away from the jock. Kisshu looks at her, surprise as she asks the jock, "Are you alright?"_

_Some of the girls ran up to the jock and asks, "Sugi-sama! Are you alright? What happened?" Kisshu saw the quick smirk that Sugi had until he started acting._

_Sugi holds his stomach in massive pain and tells them, "I wanted to welcome Kisshu-san to the school and he just hits me for annoying him." Ichigo gasps at that as the girls got angry at Kisshu. He didn't seem affected by those girls as they were yelling at him._

"_How could you do that?!"_

"_He was just trying to welcome you and you hit him for annoying you! What's wrong with you?!"_

"_You're a monster! A vicious, cruel monster!"_

_Ichigo heard Kisshu say, "Pfft, what a load of bullshit." Ichigo turns around towards him and he was looking the other way, upset. Then Kisshu looks at Ichigo and he grabs her hand. "Come on," he tells her. Without her answering, he starts pulling her out of the classroom and into the deserted hallway._

"_Hey! Hold on!" Ichigo tries to tell him but he didn't stop. He was desperate to keep Ichigo as far away from that jock as possible so that she wouldn't get mixed up with him. "Hey, I said!" Ichigo yells, getting a little angry. "Stop it!" Then she pulls her hand away and stops. Kisshu stops and turns around to face her, only to meet her hand when she slaps him. He faced the way he was hit and he was completely shock. She yells at him, angry, "You shouldn't start fights like that! This is the first day of school and you won't make friends if you keep hitting them because they're annoying you!" Her knees are shaking but she's keeping a brave face on. She just hit a 'gangster' so she might get hurt but she will not show fear._

_He looks up at her and touches his red cheek. He asks her, softly, "You don't know who I am, do you?"_

_She gulps, thinking that she's going to get hurt but she says, "I know that you're a gang leader and that you beat up five people three days ago. I also know your name! Kisshu Takokujin!" That answer was enough to just froze Kisshu completely; expression, body, insides, and all. When he didn't say anything, Ichigo lets out a sigh and says, "Now if you don't mind, I'm getting my bags." She turns around and walks away. What she didn't know was that Kisshu reached for her but she was too far to reach._

_When she was gone and he was by himself in the hallway, he leans on the window and looks down at the ground. One hand went to his head to hold it, covering his eyes and he mouths something. __**'Koneko-chan.'**_

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Ichigo jumps up from her bed right after she heard 'koneko-chan' in her dream. She inhales and exhales deep breathes, trying to calm down her fast beating heart. She place a hand over it and thinks, _'That had to be just a dream! I don't remember those things from his prospective! I also know that there is no way that those two are similar! But…'_ Ichigo looks out her window and it's a full moon tonight. She gets up from her bed and walks towards it. _'That was the first day we met and back then, he had amber eyes. Not golden amber like how they are now…or used to be.'_

After Masha told Ichigo about where the agents used to live before the whole break up thing, Ichigo decided to go back down to the others since she took a really long time for a bathroom break and Masha went with her. Things were a little awkward about Masha's appearance but Keiichiro explained to everyone who he is and what happened to him; including that he was first crushed by Kisshu when he was a new agent. Ichigo was silent most of the time because of the new information that she got from her angel self and from Masha. The new information was all on her mind and some of the girls who noticed it but didn't make a big deal out of it were worried. The group just discuss that until their wounds heal, they can't leave and until Ryou wakes up as well. Ichigo didn't pay attention so she didn't heed the warning.

After discussing, they cleaned up, bathed, and went to bed but Ichigo got a weird dream and is now staring up at the moon like Juliet in Act II, Scene II. The only thing missing is her Romeo who is supposed to appear on enemy's grounds just so that he could see her again. Ichigo knows that her Romeo won't come.

Masha flouted by her side and asks, "You okay? You okay?"

Ichigo looks up at him and smiles, "I'm fine. I'm just thinking."

"About what? About what?"

"The past," she answers. To her, it's not embarrassing to tell him so she just let her mouth wonder as she continues to stare at the moon. "On nights like this, Kisshu would be human. On those nights, he would stay close to me and we would enjoy each other's company. I used to love the way how he would just hold me and make all of my worries flout away like balloons. We even had our first kiss under the full moon. Well not really since we kissed when he was an agent and he stole it, but that kiss was so special because it was just right. I don't think I'll ever get that kiss again."

Masha cheers, "Cheer up, Mew Ichigo! Cheer up!"

She laughs and says, "Yeah, you're right. Getting depress about it isn't going to make things easier." She looks at her little robot friend and asks, "How about a walk?"

Masha got a little alarmed by that. "But Master Keiichiro says no!"

"We won't get hurt, Masha. If the agents can't stand the sunlight then I'm sure they won't be able to stand the light of the full moon. Besides, it will only be a twenty minute walk and you'll be there! You're a strong, brave robot right?"

Masha repeats, "Masha brave! Masha strong! Masha will protect Mew Ichigo!"

"Okay then, but shhhh." She has a finger in front of her lips when she says the last part.

Masha copies, "Shhh." Ichigo only smiles and then goes to get change.

Ichigo changes from her pink pj's to ankle length tight jeans, a white tank top, and a pink jacket. When she first opened her closet, these clothes were the first things that she saw. After thinking about it, she decides to wear them. She puts her hair up in her usual pig tails and she puts on some shoes. She figures that since she jumped from the second floor before, she could do it again. She goes in front of the mirror and looks at herself in these old clothes.

Masha compliments, "Mew Ichigo looks pretty! Mew Ichigo looks pretty!"

Ichigo tells him, "Thank you, Masha but I feel like something's missing. Or not really missing but something that can go well with it."

"Like what? Like what, Mew Ichigo?"

Ichigo decides to look at her feet. She has white tennis shoes on so it can't be the ankles. She moves her eyes up but there was still nothing; until she reaches her neck. To her, her neck seems bare, naked and she's embarrassed to go out without adding something. Then she got an idea. She goes to her desk and goes to her drawer. Inside, she sees the beautiful red ribbon collar with the sparkling golden bell in the middle. She goes in front of the mirror again and puts it on. When she was done, she looks and smiles at her looks.

"Perfect," she whispers. She faces Masha and says, "Let's go, Masha!"

He whispers, "Okay!"

She goes to the window and opens it. Then she jumps out and lands gracefully on the ground. Masha just flouts down to her side and they both went for a walk. What they didn't know was that the moment that Ichigo open the window, both Keiichiro and Zakuro woke up. They both felt the barrier around them break. Keiichiro gets up and opens his door to the hallway. Five seconds later, Zakuro walks out into the hallway.

Keiichiro asks, "You felt it too?" Zakuro nods and she walks to Mint's room. She goes to her bed and shakes her.

"Mint! Wake up!" she tells her. Mint opens her eyes to see Zakuro.

She sits up and asks, "What's wrong? Something happened?"

"I believe so. Go check on Lettuce and wake her up. I'll go and check on Pudding." Mint nods at her new orders and gets off of her bed.

As Mint went to wake up Lettuce and Zakuro goes to check on Pudding, Keiichiro goes to Ichigo's room. He knocks first, being the gentleman but there was no answer. He opens the door and the first thing he sees is the open window.

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It was quiet and Ichigo couldn't blame Tokyo for being like that. She read in the newspaper that most of the citizens in Tokyo moved to either America, the islands, or to far off places like Kyoto or somewhere near there. But Tokyo wasn't deserted. From what it looks like, Ichigo is the only brave soul to be walking on the streets in the middle of the night when she's a target for Kish. Not even the toughest gangsters of the streets would come out. It's just her and her little robot. The street lights are one, but some are flickering. The lights in every building are off and there wasn't a human in sight. In fact, the city does look deserted and it's so quiet. Almost…

_I am the one hiding under your bed  
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red_

Ichigo perk up at that. She looks ahead and she can hear the music about five long blocks away from her. She knows that on that side of town is where all the clubs are.

She wonders, "Even when Tokyo is almost deserted, they still have the clubs open. Jeeze! They got guts." Then Masha went off.

"Agent alert! Agent alert!" he yells.

Ichigo gasps and asks, "You sure?!"

"Hurry, Mew Ichigo! Get away! You'll be killed! Get away!" he tells her, but she didn't move.

She tells him, "I can't just run away like a coward, Masha! You go back and get the angels! If I can distract them long enough, then maybe more people can be saved!"

"But-"

"No but's, Masha! Go!"

"Masha going! Masha going!" Then he zoomed off to the café.

Ichigo knows that going will be suicide but she goes off towards where she can hear the music; hoping that not everyone are dead. All she did was fallow her ears. _(__This is Halloween__ by Marilyn Manson)_

_In this town, we call home  
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song  
In this town, don't we love it now  
Everyone's waiting for the next surprise_

_Around the corner, hiding in the trash can  
Something's ready to pounce and you  
Scream!_

_This is Halloween  
Spider black and slimy green  
Aren't you scare?_

_Well that's just fine  
Say it once, say it twice  
Take a chance and roll the dice  
Rain in moon in the dead of night_

_Everybody scream!  
Everybody scream!  
In our town of Halloween_

During the last verse, Ichigo arrives at the clubs she hears the music and runs to the door. It's lock. There are no guards, no people waiting outside, or anything. Just music and the rest are silence. Ichigo started to fear that she might be too late. Then she runs around the clubs to try and see if she can find a window of some kind that can show the inside. All she saw from the left side near the back is a ground window and the song was close to ending when she ran.

_This is Halloween  
This is Halloween  
Halloween  
Halloween  
Halloween  
Halloween_

_In this town we call home  
Everybody hail to the pumpkin song  
__La-la-la-la, __(repeats)_

When Ichigo lowered herself to the ground to look through the window, she could've puked. Inside, she saw thirty or more bodies in the club and nearly all of them got their blood drained. There were parts of the bodies everywhere, even some of the organs and there are blood splatters on the walls, lights, stereos, and there was very little on the ground. It was weird, but not so weird when she saw both Tart and Sardon sucking the blood from the last two victims on the dance floor. They made sure that there wasn't a single drop of blood on the ground. Probably because they sucked all of it. Similar to what happened to Ryou, Tart is sucking blood from the hand as Sardon is sucking blood from the upper arm.

Ichigo immediately stood up and covered her mouth to try and keep the food in her stomach. But it was no use. She ran to the nearest dumpster and pukes. Salt water escapes from her eyes and she's sweating from both the run and from vomiting. When she calms down, she leans on the dumpster and tries to erase the bloody image from her mind.

She says to herself, "I'm too late. Damn it!" She punches the dumpster and winces. Her wrists hurt from the impact to the dumpster. She looks at her red stained bandages and they turned even redder. "Damn it all! Hold on!" She looks back at the window, not wanting to look through it as she remembers the number of agents in there. "I saw Tart and I saw Sardon but I didn't see Kish. Then… Oh shit!" She starts running out of the alley and into the streets while up above her, the clouds started to hide away the full moon and its light.

But when she just went out into the open, she saw Kish on all fours in the middle of the streets about five meters away from her, ready to pounce. She stops running and stares at him in fear. His eyes are red and they are full of hatred, just like last time. Already her legs are buckling and her mind was starting to go black. All she could think of was running but her legs wouldn't let her.

Her lips are shaking as she mumbles, "Kish…?"

Then he growls, "I hate you." She didn't exactly hear that as she takes a step backs. He tells her again, moving closer, "I hate you. I hate you!" Then he sprints and Ichigo immediately jumps to the side. His claw went for the wall and he sliced it in pieces as if it were paper. She lands on the ground and looks up to see the wall fall apart, but no Kish. Then she felt hot hands roughly grab her wrists and then pushed her down to the ground. It went so fast that one second she's looking at the fallen wall and the next second she's looking up at red hate filled eyes.

He smirks, baring his sharp long fangs as he tells her, "Foolish angel. Coming by yourself and now you'll die by yourself. If I feel generous, I might make it quick." Then he squeezes her wrists so tight that he crushed them. She screams but quickly bites her lip and shuts her eyes tightly to deal with the pain. Her short scream causes Kish to widen his smirk. "But I didn't say that it will be painless." He planned on leaning towards her so that he can bite her neck and suck every ounce of living blood inside her but the moment his eyes saw the red collar, he lost the desire to kill her and he lost his smirk.

When Ichigo calmed down so that she wouldn't scream, she looks up at him and sees his eyes staring at her collar. That struck a nerve. _'He…He remembers this collar?!'_ Quickly, she asks him, "Do you remember this collar? You gave it to me, on a night like this. When the moon was full and shining up high in the sky with the stars twinkling down like diamonds. I thought I was so late that you left but you arrived right after I did. You told me that you would always come when I call and that you loved me." The word 'loved' made Kish get off her. He crawled off of her with a face full of fear. Painfully, Ichigo tries to sit up by using her arms without touching her wrists. She looks at him directly and tells him, "You promised so many things to me. You promised that you would protect me, to stay with me, to support me, and you promised that you would never hurt me, remember?" Almost as if her words had some affect but he wasn't listening, he crawls towards her again; his eyes glued to her collar. He leans closer to her and sniffs it. She didn't feel any danger so she wasn't scared. She felt completely relaxed.

After a bit, Kish pulls away and brings his hand to his mouth. In one second, he bites the back of his hand and starts sucking some of his own blood but he doesn't drink it. Ichigo only stares at him curious until he stops. Before she knew it, both of his hands grabs her face with each hand on the side of her face and kisses her. She's shocked by the sudden kiss as she could taste the thick warm liquid go down her throat. She could taste the bittersweet blood move pass her tongue to down her throat. After he gave her all of the blood in his mouth, he still kept his lips against hers. Realizing that he's still kissing her made her close her eyes and enjoy the kiss as much as possible. Who knows when she'll get to feel the warmth of his lips pressed against hers, the taste of his saliva that made her want him more, the excitement the kiss gives her, the nerves in her veins pulsing, the feel of his skin, and the feel of his hair again?

What Ichigo didn't realize was that the blood Kish gave her healed her wounds. Since angel healing couldn't heal her wounds that were inflicted by him and his powers, what better thing to try then the agent's way of healing. She didn't realize that her wrists were healed, including the hole in them as they rise up to his shoulders and pulls him closer to her. Then they both broke the kiss after a bit longer. They broke away about an inch and Ichigo was a little out of breath. That didn't stop her from moving a little closer to lick his lips like a cat. She even closed her eyes when she did that. She looks up at him and even though his eyes are still red, they gave off a feeling that Ichigo recognizes so well; caring and love.

"Nii-san!!!"

They both turn towards the club, right before Tart super speed towards Kish and punch him hard in the face. Kish went straight for the wall and crash, causing an avalanche of rocks to fall on top of him.

Ichigo cries out, "Kish!!!" Then, not only did she feel a depressed, dark aura behind her, she also felt two sharp nails at her neck.

"If you wish to live another five minutes, I suggest you stay put and shut up," Sardon threatened, sad as always and this time because he was close to losing his brother. Ichigo didn't move as she can feel his sadness and remember the memories she saw earlier.

Tart stomps towards the pile of rocks and swings his arm over the pile. All of the rocks melted away and dissolves into the ground; revealing Kish leaning against the wall and his head limping over. Tart grabs his collar and asks, "What the hell is wrong with you?! Don't be tricked by that bitch! Don't you remember what she did to you, how she made you feel, and the words she said to you?! She said she hated you, remember?!" Then black electricity sparks in between him and Kish and by the time Tart notices it, he was blast away and he hit the building on the other side of the street.

"Tart!" Sardon whispers, worried about his little brother now. He lets Ichigo go and teleports towards Tart.

Tart falls to the ground in pain from the hit as he steadies himself up. Sardon is by his side and he looks like he wants to help, but Tart only curses, "Fricken dumbass brother."

"I…hate…"

Tart and Sardon snap up to look at him as Ichigo had her eyes glued on him since Sardon let go. Kish is leaning over with his hands grasping his head in pain. He kept mumbling those two words but he doesn't finish it. His eyes are half way open as all three of them could see his eyes flicker from blood red to amber gold and then amber gold to blood red. Ichigo sees all of that but she can't figure out why that's happening.

"Ichigo!"

"Ichigo-san!!"

Ichigo tears her eyes away just to see the angels come flying to her with Masha leading the way. She whispers, "Everyone…"

Sardon stares at them as Tart growls. Tart looks up at Sardon and says, "Nii-sama! We need to take nii-san to Deep Blue-sama immediately! We'll lose him unless we do something!" Sadly, Sardon nods in agreement.

Both of them teleport from one side of the streets to the other where Kish is. Ichigo notices them from the corner of her eyes and quickly looks at them, just in time to see Sardon place his hand on Kish's back and all three teleport to hell. Ichigo remains speechless, knowing that even if she tried to yell for him, nothing is going to change.

"Ichigo onee-chan!" Pudding calls, all five of them landing on the ground.

Mint marches up to Ichigo and vents. "What the heck were you thinking?!! Didn't Keiichiro tell you that you can't leave or it would break the barrier?! Then Masha comes in and tells us that you're fighting agents!! Do you have any idea-" She stops suddenly when Ichigo starts chuckling.

Ichigo looks up at Mint and stands up. She says, "Kish was close to remembering his human heart!" All of the angels gasp at that. Ichigo looks the other way and says, "Well I know that it sounds impossible but he was close! There might be hope after all! We can save them!"

Lettuce asks, "Really?!"

Ichigo approaches her and tells her, "He just saw my collar and then he kissed me! Sure it was a little weird considering that he gave me some of his own blood and he gave it to me mouth to mouth, but he still kissed me after that. Then he was looking at me with such caring, loving eyes. I could have mistaken him for Kisshu when that happened. Ah, guys! Why are you staring at me like a freak?" After she said the blood transfer part, they were all staring at her surprised and a bit scared. Keiichiro was the one who looked like he was shaking.

Zakuro asks, "He gave you…his blood?!"

Ichigo nods and answers, swaying her wrists around, "I don't know what it would do since I don't feel any different after his blood entered my system, but…"

Pudding asks, "Ichigo onee-chan, doesn't your wrists hurt, na no da?"

"Huh?" Ichigo looks down at her wrists and she bends them back and forth. They don't hurt anymore. She starts taking the bandages off and gasps at the results. Her wrists weren't hurt anymore. There wasn't a hole or bones out of place or anything! It was completely healed without leaving a single scar on them.

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Deep Blue had a pale hand over Kish's eyes as he was sitting on his throne and Kish kneeling in front of him. There was a blue light that shined between Kish's head and Deep Blue's hand. Both Tart and Sardon were next to Deep Blue, waiting for Kish to come back to his senses. When the blue light faded away, Deep Blue pulled back his hand and Kish fell to his knees, supporting himself with his arms. Sardon and Tart moved towards his side and kneeled next to him.

Deep Blue leans back into his throne and tells them, "I wouldn't be that close if I were you." But it was too late.

Kish went back to his vicious wild side and he claws the first things near to him; Sardon and Tart. Both Sardon and Tart went flying from Kish's attack and they both crashed into the rock walls. They fell to the ground in pain and stayed there for about a minute to let the pain fade away as Deep Blue was just watching as if he's enjoying a very entertaining show. Kish, with blood on his claws, is growling as both Tart and Sardon sit up after the impact and their wounds that Kish gave them started to heal and an incredible rate because of the massive blood they had.

Deep Blue asks, "So Kish, tell me, how do you feel?"

Kish answers, "I feel like I need to be in a killing spree. That damn wench tricked me again and I'm pissed as all hell!!"

Tart tells him, "Getting angry is my job!" Kish glares at him but Tart glares back.

Deep Blue tells them, "Please you two. As much as I would love to see some blood in here, I need you two for an assignment that's coming up. Sardon! You are excused from this mission. This mission, I'm sure, is not that difficult that you two can handle yourselves." All three agents look back at him but only two smiled evilly in delight of this 'new mission.'

Tart and Kish answer, "Of course, my lord."


	32. Trapped Together

**A/N: Hello everyone!! Sorry that this chapter is long but what can I say? I'm someone who loves to type.**

**Kuro: Not to mention that this chapter contains another event that involves the Mew Aqua.**

**Tsukiko: Kuro! Don't say that!**

**Kuro: Tsukiko also has an important announcement to make!**

**Tsukiko: You are so lucky right now. Since 'Betrayal Reveals Love' is finished, I have a slot open until this story is done. I had a vote and it's a tie between 'You're a Girl?' and 'The Truth is Speaking to You, Ichigo.' Since it's going to be Monday in a few hours, I am going to let out the fourth chapter of both of those stories and when this story reaches chapter 34, then I will end the voting and the winner will get the first fifth chapter out for everyone to read.**

**Kuro: The rules are that it's one vote for each review. If you want to vote twice then you need to send two reviews. You cannot have one review say that you would like a hundred votes for this story. No, that cannot happen. Thank you for the wonderful reviews by the way and please keep them coming. Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stores.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you all so very much and please enjoy!!**

_Do confessions of love always come at the last minute when you truly think that the only thing to do is confess to make the ending corny? Or are they popular for a reason?_

Ch. 32: Trapped Together

It's been three days since that night when Ichigo was absolutely positive that Kisshu can come back. Not only was she in a massive, terrible mess because she ran off, she was nearly happy about it. She cleaned the café, from Mint's orders, till there wasn't a single speck of dust at even the tiniest of corner, she washed every single dish, she cleaned out the fridge on what's fresh and what's not, and she polished the building from top to bottom. She even did the laundry, the grocery shopping, and cleaned every room in the building, without Mint's orders. Mint thought that she's having a nightmare as Lettuce and Pudding were looking at her as unique and strong woman, like a goddess.

During those three days, Keiichiro took a blood test and he says that the agent blood in her seemed to have disappeared. They figured that Kish's blood must have used every energy and power within each blood cell to heal her wrists and the other tiny wounds she had from the last violent encounter she had with him. After that, Keiichiro says that he's taking Masha for a few days because since he went out exploring, he's going to get the information out of him and organize. Everyone was too confused to understand. All they did understand is that Masha is going to be gone for a few days. Before Ichigo's major clean up duty, she was in her room writing down the new notes that she collected from that night. She observed that when Kish saw her collar, it was sign that he still has a human heart but it's still dormant under all of that hatred he still carries. It seemed very possible that if she can demolish every hate inside of him then he can probably still be saved. However, that hypothesis cannot be proven until the next time she sees him. The next problem is that, how the bloody hell is she going to do that? The answer was simple, finish reading his journal. Then the clean up happen and she was a little distracted to go back to the book. She was even too distracted to go and see if she can see what Ryou saw in his dreams.

"All done!" Ichigo cheered, behind her is a sparkling bathroom and all her friends could do was have a dark aura. They were too shocked to see how Ichigo is enjoying this.

Mint asks, "Are you alright, and I mean really, really alright? You're on a cleaning spree." Mint places her hand on Ichigo's forehead to prove her point.

Ichigo pulls the hand away and answers, "I'm fine, really. If I'm done for the day, can I go back to my room?"

Everyone thought, _'I think that you're done forever!'_

Zakuro tells her, "You may."

Before Ichigo goes running off towards her room, Mint quickly tells her, "Ichigo! There's something you should know!" Ichigo stops and looks at her. "Tonight, Keiichiro is bringing some instruments to keep us occupied since we could get bored when onee-sama and Keiichiro put the barrier up. Tomorrow, we're having a karaoke party since he's almost healed."

Ichigo smiles and says, "Sounds like fun. Let's be grateful that there hasn't been any killing for a while."

Truth be told, during those three days, there hasn't been a single killing. The agents didn't even come and attack them. It was if, whatever happened to Kish could be taking a while. The angels thought that it might worry her but yet again, some of them thought she still kind of hate him. Lettuce and Pudding are the only ones who know that Ichigo is getting out of hating him. Mint and Zakuro are still confused.

Ichigo went into her room and the first thing she did was lean on the closed door and fall to her knees. She held her knees close to her body and buried her face in her knees. Ichigo is a very good actor to prove everyone that she's perfectly fine and she has a lot in faith in her now-evil-boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. Ichigo is very worried about Kish. When she saw Kish after he blasted Tart away from him, he looked like he's in a lot of pain like trying to remember might be too painful for him. Being reminded of what happened when they first met and the knowledge that all of those jocks are worst than any scum on the planet, she hates to imagine what other kind of pain he must have been. Maybe he was hurt every time she pushed him away, the pain he went through when he was forced to transform when he didn't have the ring, the day he got infused, and probably the pain from when he thought Ichigo and Ryou are together.

In her thoughts, Ichigo wonders, _'Kish, where are you? Are you alright or are you…?'_ She didn't want to finish the last thought. She's too afraid of the thought of him without a beating heart and air in his lungs.

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"Everyone! We have bad news!" Keiichiro announces, in the café. Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro are all in the café, enjoying some tea before he came out from the basement. He quickly tells them, "There was a reason why none of the agents have been killing anyone!" That got their attention. They stood up, waiting for the explanation. "There's a concert at Tokyo Dome today and there have been incidents of floors breaking and creating holes. So far, there have been five cars with the maximum of seven people in each car have been killed from the accident. The humans claim that the reason why they're dead is because of the fall in, but each victim got drained of eighty percent of their blood. The twenty percent was left at the scene of the crime to fool the humans."

Lettuce asks, "Then the agents are using the fall ins to make the humans believe that the deaths are all accidental?"

Mint says, "No offence, Lettuce. But the way they are now, it's highly likely that they would do that. It's too generous to leave that much blood."

"Correct," Keiichiro tells her. He finishes, "All of the fall ins have been reported to surround the Tokyo Dome area. The concert is a full house and there's a high chance of that falling in with thousand of Tokyo people." It sometimes amazes the angels on how many humans are still willing to have a good time even though they can get killed afterwards.

Zakuro tells him, "We'll go right away to delay the concert as much as possible. But will you be alright here?"

Keiichiro nods and tells her, "I'll be fine. If the agents are the reason for this, then I'm sure they won't come here."

Mint tells him, "Don't tell Ichigo about this! She'll go running off if she knows." _'Not to mention that she's crazy right now and could get hurt.'_ Even though Mint is the one who at first couldn't believe that the boys would make the decision on choosing the devil's hand, she's a little upset on how they not only hurt her friends but her boss as well.

After that, all four girls started running to the Dome. All Keiichiro can do now is hope that they all will come back safely. The agents, now, are too blood thirsty for them but they are the only ones who can stop them.

"Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!"

Hearing them, Ichigo's head shoots up and she runs for the window. She sees her friends transforming into their angels forms and then started flying towards the east. Immediately, she tries to open the window but she can't. She looks at the window and it's nailed shut. She collapses on the window pale and thinks, _'I guess I'm grounded'_

She lets out a sigh and goes to her desk. She collapses on the chair and thinks, _'I guess the only thing I can do now is just figure out the rest of this puzzle.'_ The first she grabs is Kisshu's journal. She's almost at the end anyway, so might as well finish it. There might be more clues on how to get them back. She opens the journal and reads the entry she was last finished with.

_**Another weird day. Both me and Ichigo were going to be late for school so we ran but we bumped into someone. She seems to be called Lettuce and the weird thing is that I don't know her but she knows my name. After bumping into her, Ichigo and I ran to school and we made it just in time. However, we were caught sleeping in class because we were so tired. Then after getting caught nearly kissing her, I had to help out at the Café Mew Mew since it was packed. Then I saw none other than the same weird girl that I bumped into with my nii-san, Pai! I always thought of him as some cold guy who would die alone but apparently it seems that he's on a date with her. The weird thing is that she goes to the school he works at…**_

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The angels arrive at the dome and the bad part is that there are no people waiting outside, waiting to go inside or going inside. But they did hear the music rocking out from the inside. The other bad thing is that it's noon time with the sun shining high up in the sky, but it's cloudy.

As they can hear the music, Lettuce asks, "What do we do now? Everyone is already inside!"

"Just hold on!" Mint tells her. "I'm trying to think."

"You all can just die and leave us alone."

Then four explosions from the ground went off and blew the angels away, well most of them. Mint, Zakuro, and Lettuce went right for the neighboring buildings while Pudding was only five feet away from the bomb that was supposed to explode under her. She got low to the ground and looks at the hole her explosion made. She looks down and it looks deep, it could probably lead to the source of all the fall ins.

Pudding looks up at her friends and tells them, "I'm going in, na no da!"

Mint yells, "Wait!" But it was too late. Pudding jumps right into the hole and is sliding down to probably the center of the earth.

As she was sliding down, she felt something flying past her. The thing gave a good whoosh and it went up. She looks up just enough to see Kish flying out of the hole and lands on all four on the ground in front of other Mew Mews. For the past experiences, everyone knows that Kish is the more deadly, bloodthirsty one of the three, and the more powerful one. It's too late for Pudding to stop him now so all she can do now is hope that her friends will make it through today alive.

Kish has an wide, evil grin on his face as he's on all fours and is looking at the angels with the yearning of bloodshed. He asks in his harsh, wild voice, "Where's the strawberry angel?"

Mint stands up with the others fallowing as she answers him, "She's a place where you can't hurt her!"

"There's no such place, bird angel," he tells her. "Have you ever been betrayed? Hated? Or heartbroken? I have. Surely you had some of those experiences, right?"

"But you're wrong!" Lettuce yells. His red eyes went to her as she tells him, "Ichigo-san never betrayed you! Why would she? Before she thought she was betrayed, she moaned for you! Then when she was overjoyed when she believes that she can get you back! Please, Kish! Just stop this now and come back!" Right after that, she got two black lightning blasts coming for her. Lettuce got hit and went straight for the building.

"Lettuce!" Zakuro and Mint calls, out in worry. Lettuce falls to the ground in more pain than before and she tries to sit up. She's bleed again.

Kish's hand that had some traces of black lightning coming from his hand looks at Lettuce and says, " Now I know how you used Sardon and broke him down. You never shut up do you? I hate that!"

Then he charges at them. Lettuce quickly reacts with summoning her weapons as Mint and Zakuro did the same.

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Ichigo stared at the entry she just finish and turns the next page, the last page of the journal. During her reading, she got a little uncomfortable with the silence so she turns on the radio and now it's playing a song by Linkin Park, called _Numb._ She knows that Keiichiro might come in and tell her to listen to a different station, but she's been taking a liking to it. Keiichiro can even say that it might be the agent's blood but Ichigo doesn't care right now. The last entry she just read was one about how Kisshu was happy that she finally kiss him on the night of the full moon. When she started reading the next page, she was in for a surprise from the happy Kisshu to the suddenly depressed, heartbroken one.

_**This will be the last time that I will write, Tomodachi. The reason is because writing in here is something a human can do and I'm not human, apparently. I just found out that I'm a murdering agent of the devil that has killed over hundreds of people. One of the people that I've killed was Ichigo's parents. I guess I should've seen this coming since I've been having nightmares of some monster killing them right before my eyes and I couldn't do anything. But yet again, I didn't know what it all means. Since I'm writing for the last time, I think it's about time you know the truth about me and why I was excited about how I was going to see Ichigo after so long.**_

_**The truth is that-**_

And then it just ends. Ichigo was going to look at the next page, but there was nothing. The only thing she can see is that it looks like the last pages that contain Kisshu's secret is torn out of the book.

She looks the other way, leans her head on the palm of her hand, and angrily says, "Great! Now what?!" But her eyes reverted back to the last page of the journal. She kept staring at Kisshu's last words and all she could think is, _'He sounds sad and he probably used a lot of courage to write these last thoughts. The writing is almost faint, like he was could barely keep the pencil on the paper.'_

On the radio, the announcer says, "Now let's listen to Kerli's new hit song, _Bulletproof._" Ichigo gets up and walks to the window as she hears the song play in her room.

_Just a simple touch  
Just a little glance  
Makes me feel like flyin'_

Ichigo looks at her collar that is still tied on her neck and rings the bell a bit. She continues to stare out and, as if she knows this song by heart, starts singing with the singer.

_But where are you tonight  
Something isn't right  
Can you please stop hiding_

Ichigo looks at her collar that is still tied on her neck and rings the bell a bit. She continues to stare out and, as if she knows this song by heart, starts singing with the singer.

_I'm trying not to think about  
All the things you did before  
But sometimes it all just gets to me  
I can't take it anymore  
I'll stay with you  
But remember be careful what you do  
'Cause I'm not bulletproof_

Her eyes narrow half way and she looks down at the nails on her window pale. She hovers her hand over them and rises it. Like she's controlling them, they pull themselves out. She didn't even make a big deal that she's controlling them right now. It's almost as if she's in a trance.

_In your secret place  
Staring into space  
Leaves me feeling frozen  
I just need to feel that  
what we have is real  
And I'm the one you've chosen_

_I'm trying not to think about  
All the things you did before  
But sometimes it all just gets to me  
I can't fake it anymore  
I'll stay with you  
But remember to be careful what you do  
'Cause I'm not bulletproof_

The nails are completely out and they fell to the ground. She lifts the window pale and gets out. She lands on the grass and starts walking towards where she saw the angels fly off. Even though she can no longer hear the music of the radio, she's still singing to it.

_I am trying not to think about  
All the things you did before  
But sometimes it all just gets to me  
I can't fake it anymore  
I'll stay with you  
But remember and be careful what you do  
Cause I'm not bulletproof  
__  
And I'm not bulletproof  
And I'm not bulletproof  
I'm not bulletproof__  
__I'm not bulletproof  
I'm not bulletproof  
I'm not bulletproof  
I'm not bulletproof  
I'm not bulletproof  
I'm not bulletproof  
I'm not bulletproof_

The last line was sang as a whisper. Right before she was going to sing it, she stopped walking, surrounded by lots of humans and she placed her hand on her heart. She closed her eyes and whispered it. Then as she let out a sigh, the mark on her upper thigh appears and her whole body glows white. The humans stare at her, surprised and they start taking steps back away from her. The bright light blinded them from seeing Ichigo's face as it got bigger and bigger. When it faded away, she was gone.

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Pudding has been sliding down for a while now and along the way, she kept hearing bangs from the surface and down below. She gets more worried about her friends at every boom she hears but the booms from the one below are starting to overpower the ones up there.

Then the tunnel hole turned into a huge, open cave with the only exit of the tunnel that Pudding just entered from. She spread out her wings and gently landed on the solid ground. The tunnel was so cramped that she couldn't stretch them. When she landed on the ground, she looked all around. There was just darkness and it was silent and cold. Pudding could only see a few things from the light above but that wasn't even very helpful. Pudding wraps her arms around herself as she shakes in fear. She knows that she's not the only one there but seeing only herself and having the feeling that someone is watching her is frightening.

Then she felt a hot angry presence behind her. Before she could react, she hears, "Hello, Pudding." She turns around, only to see Tart's angry yellow eyes before he hits her in the side. She went flying towards the rock wall and crashes, breaking a wing in the process. She falls to her knees in great pain as she looks up at Tart who's baring his sharp white teeth in a smirk. "You were a fool to come down here by yourself. Especially since I'm the one who wants you dead."

Pudding tries to stand up but is having a very hard time doing that. Luckily, Tart enjoys watching her in pain so he just watches her. She looks up at him and then sweetly smiles at him. He lost his smirk and gasps at that. He takes a step back as he asks, trying to sound angry, "What…What's with the smile?!"

She answers, the smile still on her face, "I'm just so happy to see you, na no da. I can't help but smile, na no da."

He chuckles a bit and tells her, "Well you won't be smiling when you're dead!" He teleports from where he was to right next to her. He hits her again and instead of a wall, she tumbles on the ground, rolling like a rock.

He didn't give her time to get up. He teleports to her again and she was half way up. He kicks her side hard and she goes flying for the wall, breaking her other wing and getting a rib bone crack. Tart summons his click-clack toy and teleports again. She falls to her knees and tries to sit up but her side hurt because of the crack rib. Then wires wrap around her neck and they are tight. She tries to get them off her as she's chocking but Tart is standing over her with his click-clack toy strangling her. Her pain face is facing him and he looks pleased at the results.

"So?" he asks. "Still feel like smiling?" Even though she can't breathe, she curls her lips together and smiles at him. He starts growling at her. He grits his teeth together, his eyes getting brighter, and his growl getting louder. He pulls the click-clack toy so that it can tighten around her neck and yells, "Stop it!!! Stop smiling!!" She lost her smile because of the tightened hold and her hands are starting to get weak. He gains a smile in satisfaction from the results. Then…

_Rumble_

_Rumble_

Tart looks around as the earthquake continues. Deeper in the cave, he can see rocks of every size starting to fall in with dirt and all. He curses, "Damn it all! It's caving in because of the commotion!" He looks back at Pudding and takes the click-clack toy off her. She falls to her collapses to the ground but is saved by her hands that hold her up and she's coughing. Then she starts taking in deep breathes to get air back in her lungs as he tells her, "It's a shame that I don't get to drink your blood but I think getting crush will be a more suited death for you. You can feel the pain of getting crushed, just as I got crushed when you yelled at me."

He turns away so that he can teleport but something stops him; something electrifying. Pudding quickly stood up, despite her pain and hugs him from behind; wrapping her arms around his neck. The repellence between an angel and an agent started to hurt Tart and Pudding tried her best to ignore the pain as much as possible.

He tells her, "Let go, you crazy angel!!"

She tells him, "I won't let go, na no da!" The cave in started to get worst. The ground started to crack and it cracks right behind Pudding. Her arms tighten around him as she tells him, "I won't let go, na no da. Never again, na no da. I love you, na no da."

Tart's eyes widen at those three words. He lightly shakes at her response and his head starts to hurt as well as his chest. Besides the pain of her touching him, somehow he finds warmth and comfort from them. But he can't take i. He pushes her and yells, "Shut up!!" Pudding lets him go and she takes a step back, only to end up falling into the crack. Pushing her, Tart sees her going to fall.

Pudding looks behind her to see the crack and how deep it is. She screams, "EYYYAAAA!!!! TARU-TARU!!!" That one name was all he needed to hear.

As she's falling into the crack, she reaches for any kind of help but so far nothing. She closes her eyes, waiting for her death but then a hand grabs hers. She looks up from the pain of the hand and she sees Tart trying to pull her out. She's surprise by that as she sees him with his face crunched up in trying to help her up and his other free hand is pushing himself up with her as well. A few seconds later, he got her out.

She looks up at him as both of her hands are grasp by his as she asks, "Taru-Taru?" Before she knew it, she got kissed. Tart just presses his lips against hers and she blinks in both surprise and confusion of the kiss. He breaks it before she could know what just happened.

He leans his forehead against her and for some reason, it doesn't hurt. Not even the pain of her hands touching his hurts anymore. He tells her, "Thank you, Pudding-san."

She gasps and looks directly at his eyes. His eyes that were once glowing yellow are not back to the dark gold that she remembers so much. He still looks like Tar but it's Taruto. Her eyes start to water up as she jumps on him and hugs him. "Taru-Taru!!" It doesn't hurt to touch him and he's back.

He hugs her back and whispers in her ear again, "Thank you. Thank you so much." But his hold got a little too tight. She winces in pain and he hears that. He pulls her away and says, "I'm sorry!"

She shakes her head back and forth and tells him, "It's okay, na no da. It doesn't hurt anymore, na no da." She looks up at him again and tells him, "I've missed you so much, na no da. I thought I was never going to see you again, na no da. I'm so sorry for yelling at you, na no da. I was just so angry that I-"

"Shh, shh. It's alright. I understand since I lose my temper all the time. But I'm sorry for saying such awful things to you and then hurting you to the point of death. Especially this." He takes her wrist, the one he sliced before, and he kisses it.

Her vision is getting hazy and she's feeling a little light headed but she tells him, "Angels are suppose to forgive and forget, na no da. So I forgive you for all of the things you've done and I will forget about them, na..no…da…" Then she falls forward and faints; giving Taruto a heart attack when she collapses on his shoulder.

"Pudding-san! Pudding!" he calls, flipping her over and examining her. She probably fainted because of the pain from her rib and her broken wings. Remembering that he did that, Taruto regretted that he's the monster who did that to her.

_Rumble_

Taruto's head shots up to see more rocks and dirt fall in as the earthquake continues. The rocks started to pile up and now there are some above him that are just ready to fall and smash them both to pancakes. It got worse every second.

He stands up with an unconscious Pudding in his arms and looks around for any kind of escape. The hole that Pudding went through is blocked and is impossible to get to with the number of rocks falling at different places. Then Pudding felt a little heavier. He gasps and wonders, _'Am I…losing my power? I feel so weak that I don't think that I can teleport both of us out of here.'_

He looks back down at Pudding and brings her closer to him. He tells her, "I love you, too Pudding-san. Be happy, okay?" With his remaining strength, he teleports Pudding to the surface; where it's safe.

After that last teleportation, his whole body glows black and he transforms back into Taruto, his normal form. He looks at his hand and he doesn't have the mark of an agent anymore. He's completely free but trapped fifty feet below the surface. He didn't care. He only puts his hands together and looks like he's praying.

'_Please! I know that I'm going to sound corny or stupid but Ichigo! Lettuce! Please! Save my brothers too!'_

Then the rocks right above him, big ones, started to fall and he smiles.

_Crush_

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While Pudding and Tart were busy down below, Kish got all three mew mews on their knees and bleeding from impacts or his claws. Nothing too serious, yet. Kish grins at them and cracks his knuckles, showing them that he's ready for the kill.

Keiichiro tells them from their blotches, _"Everyone! Are you alright?"_

Zakuro answers, "I'm alright."

Mint answers, "Same here."

"I can still fight," Lettuce answers as well, weakly.

"_The ground under the dome is getting weaker and weaker with each moment. You three have to deal hold Kish down and then save the humans before the dome completely collapses,"_ he tells them.

Mint asks, "Hold him down? How?"

"_You're a little short handed with Pudding gone, but there is an attack that you three can use together to hold him down while you get the humans. It's called 'Mew Power Extension.' Surround him and use your powers to hold him down. It should keep him at bay long enough to get the humans out!"_

"Got it!" Mint answers.

Lettuce nods and says, "Alright."

Zakuro grips her weapon tighter and says, "Worth a try." She charges at Kish first as Lettuce sprints to the left. Mint stays were she is and gets herself ready with her bow in hand.

Kish smirks, ready for Zakuro. Since he didn't hear their conversation with Keiichiro, he didn't know about their plan on surrounding him. At the last minute, Zakuro jumps right over Kish and is now on his left as Lettuce is on his right and Mint is in front of him. They got their weapons ready, faced it at him and before he had time to reach, they start the attack.

"Mew Power Extensions!!" they cried.

Their weapons glow and a white light shines from them. Kish covers his eyes from the white light as a white chain shots out of the ground and grabs one wrist. He's confused by that as suddenly a cross comes out of the ground behind him and the chain is connected to the cross. The cross is only about eight feet tall and his arm is hanging there on the side. The lights fade away and the Mew Mews drop their weapons to see Kish trying to break free from the chain on the cross. They stare in awe as smoke started to come from Kish's wrist and he winces in pain from it. He leans on his knees and tries to breath but the cross is full of holly energy that is sucking away his hellish powers.

Zakuro tells her friends, "While he's busy, we'll get the humans out!" Mint and Lettuce nod and start running to the dorm. They run past Kish as he uses his other hand to grab the base of the cross.

He whispers, "I'm not through yet." Then he uses his blast and destroys the cross. All three girls stop and turn around to see the explosion. Since those three made it, it wasn't as powerful as it would've been if they had Pudding.

The explosion causes not only below to start caving in but also it blew the cross to bits. The parts hit the angels so hard that it felt like they were being attacked by hundreds of rocks. They went for the dorm and crashes into the walls, unable to move. The Mew Power Extension used up too much of their powers and they're already weak from the battle.

Where the cross used to be, Kish pants. His wrists hurts thanks to the cross but it slowly started to heal because of the blood he's been having. But he's going to need more after what happen today. He takes his last big breath and looks at the fallen angels. He glares at them with his hate filled eyes and growls at them as well.

He says, "Now you're dead."

Before he could approach them, a bright light shines from the side. He looks up and this time, he can endure the light. When the light faded away, Ichigo stood there in the middle of the streets. He looks up at Kish as if she didn't care how she got there or what just happen. The angels are barely conscious as they saw Ichigo appearing by the white light. Kish saw her and takes a few steps back.

Ichigo takes a step forward and reaches for him. "Kish, come here." The way her voice sounds and how gentle her words are close to that of an angel.

He tells her, "Stay back! I hate you!"

She flinches and pulls her hands back. However, she doesn't look sad. She smiles at him and says, "I'm happy to see you again. Are you alright?" She takes a few more steps forward and Kish looks terrified.

"I said, STAY BACK!!!!" he yells.

He gets two black blasts ready and shoots them right at her. She gets hit and goes flying about ten feet away from where she's standing. She hits the ground and rolls like a rock. Her friends want to call out to her, but they're too weak to do that. Kish smirks a bit at his success in hitting her, but he lost it when he hears Ichigo singing.

_Hurt Me__by Kerli_

_So full of rage  
The human race  
Hold me while I`m falling down  
Rearrange what you have found _

Ichigo lifts herself up and weakly gets up. She starts glowing a bit but that still didn't hurt Kish's eyes. Her friends stare in amazement as Kish was still looking at her with fear in his eyes. When Ichigo looks up at Kish, she looks a little angry and a little daring as she sings her next verse.

_Hurt me  
See me crawling on the floor  
Is that what you`ve been longing for?  
Hurt me  
Is this enough? Do you want more?  
Go on if it makes you sore_

_Hurt me  
See me crawling on the floor  
Is that what you`ve been longing for?  
Hurt me  
Is this enough? Do you want more?  
Go on if it makes you sore_

Ichigo starts taking steps towards him but he takes steps back.

_You hate my face  
My sweet embrace  
You hate me when I`m all around  
Enjoy it when I`m burning down_

_Hurt me  
See me crawling on the floor  
Is that what you`ve been longing for?  
Hurt me  
Is this enough? Do you want more?  
Go on if it makes you sore_

_Hurt me  
See me crawling on the floor  
Is that what you`ve been longing for?  
Hurt me  
Is this enough? Do you want more?  
Go on if it makes you sore_

Ichigo stops walking and just stares at him now with pleading eyes. Kish sees that and is no longer afraid of her. His eyes went back to hatred.

_Aah-aah  
Aah-aah  
Aah-aah  
Aah-aah_

Kish gets another blast ready and aims it at her. He launches it and she just stood there. Then she smiles and Kish didn't look so hateful anymore. The blast hits her and she goes flying a few feet away.

_Aah-aah  
Aah-aah  
Aah-aah  
Aah-aah_

Ichigo stands up again as Kish takes a few steps forward. Then she sharply turns to him and she looks daring again. That confuses him as she continues singing.

_Hurt me  
See me crawling on the floor  
Is that what you`ve been longing for?  
Hurt me  
Is this enough? Do you want more?  
Go on if it makes you sore_

_Hurt me  
See me crawling on the floor  
Is that what you`ve been longing for?  
Hurt me  
Is this enough? Do you want more?  
Go on if it makes you sore_

_Hurt me  
See me crawling on the floor  
Is that what you`ve been longing for?  
Hurt me  
Is this enough? Do you want more?  
Go on if it makes you sore_

After the song, Ichigo starts to pant because she looks like, and sounds like she gave her all in that song. Kish went back to being terrified at her as Ichigo looks annoyed. She yells, "Make up your stupid ass mind, Kish! Because I am tired of this! If you want to hurt or kill me, then go right ahead! Because no matter what you do, it doesn't matter anymore!" She places her hand over her heart and tells him, "The pain that I've felt right here that you inflicted is worst then death itself! I bet that when you break every bone in my body, or cut my wrists so that I can die a slow and painful death, I won't scream because I'm already numb! Please Kish! Just stop this and come back, please!" Her eyes look like she's close to tears after she said that and all Kish can do is stare. The others watch, getting in anxious in what Kish's reaction will be.

_Rumble_

_Rumble_

Ichigo nearly falls but catches herself as Kish does the same from the sudden earthquake. Then Kish's read eyes goes wide as if something terrible just happen; he can feel it. He looks towards the dome and it's starting to sink with the other angels with it. They can hear the humans scream inside and judging by how fast it's sinking, they're panicking. Ichigo looks at the dome and sees it sinking. Then a black light appear about five feet away from her. Kish looks at the light, hoping that his feelings are wrong but instead of Tart, he sees an unconscious Pudding.

Ichigo gasps and runs to her. "Pudding!" She kneels by her side and breathes out, "Oh my god. What happened?"

Kish on the other hand was holding his head as if he's in pain, but the only pain he's feeling is the pain of knowing that something terrible just happened and he knows what. "Tart…my baby brother…" Then he teleports away, leaving Ichigo and the other angels to deal with a collapsing dome.

Ichigo looks up at the sinking dome and then at the unconscious Pudding. Obviously she's hurt with the broken wings and the red marks on her neck. Mint, Lettuce, and Zakuro are still too weak to move as they are sinking with the dome and it's sinking fast. Ichigo is the only one able to move and conscious but there is nothing she can do. The only thing she can do is cry.

She leans over Pudding's body and mumbles, "Damn it all! Please, someone…help us!" A tear fell from her eyes and lands on Pudding's face. She opens her eyes from the cold tear and then a bright yellow light shines from her body. Ichigo sits up, surprised by the light as the light got bigger and brighter. Ichigo covers her eyes to protect them and the yellow light made Ichigo feel energized and happy. When the light was gone, Ichigo drops her arms to see Pudding not in front of her unconscious but standing five feet away from her, awake and in a new outfit no less.

Now, Pudding is wearing a white Chinese celestial silk robe with white thread designs of dragons and flower petals gliding in the wind. The odd thing about it is that she's baring her shoulders because her sleeves are not connected to the robe. It's hanging on her arms, pass her elbows and it's the same color as the robe. The skirt is short, about five inches passed her waist, and she has long white socks that pass her knees by an inch and almost look like tights on her legs. Chinese shoes are usually black but hers are white. She doesn't have her monkey ears or monkey tail anymore. Her hair is still the same but now she has a white lotus blossom in her hair like a hair clip. Her body is giving off a faint yellow glow as her hair and skin look so beautiful and unbelievably healthy. Her wings are healed and three times bigger than before as her halo is brighter than ever. When she opens her eyes, she looks unsurprised by her new appearance; just like Mint and Zakuro from before. She closes her eyes and when she opens them, she's smiling and winks at Ichigo.

"Angel Pudding is ready to save the day, na no da!" she cheers. She turns towards the dome and yells, "Don't worry, guys na no da! I'll help, na no da." She leaps up into the air and flies over the sinking dome. The angels watch as they can hear music start and then Pudding starts singing and dancing.

_Dragonfly__ by SmileDK_

_Like a warm summer day, like a warm day in May  
Babe, you make me feel so hot  
Like a small butterfly, like a bird in the sky  
Feels like a star that I'm not_

_You tell me things that I never knew (Aye, yow, wa)  
So what am I supposed to do? (Aye, yow, wa)  
Running around like a little kid (Aye, yi, whoa)  
One, two, three, and I'm here, here, here!_

_Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above and beyond you and I  
Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above you and I_

From under the dome, roots start to sprout out from below and start growing at an incredible rate. The roots form together to become trees as Pudding continued to just sing and dance in the air as if she's on solid ground. In her mind, she's singing this song to someone more important to her than anyone.

_Like a small paradise, like a scent of a spice  
Yes, I guess I understood  
Like a flower so sweet, like a lover of me  
Boy, you make me feel so good._

_You tell me things that I never knew (Aye, yow, wa)  
So what am I supposed to do? (Aye, yow, wa)  
Running around like a little kid (Aye, yi, whoa)  
One, two, three, and I'm here, here, here!_

_Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above and beyond you and I  
Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above you and I_

The trees continue to grow and it stops the dome from sinking. In fact, the trees are starting to help lift up the dome as well. The girls just stare in amazement as Ichigo was starting to smile in pure bliss.

_Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above and beyond you and I  
Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above you and I_

When the dome was back on ground level, the trees stop growing and all around the dome are trees that form a wall that is help supporting it. There are openings as then Pudding looks like that every time she moves, beautiful bubbles fall down towards them and Ichigo couldn't help but feel a warm and nostalgic power coming from them. She couldn't help but wonder if this is the true power of Mew Aqua.

_Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above and beyond you and I  
Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above you and I_

_Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above and beyond you and I  
Like a dragonfly, flying high in the sky  
There is light above you and I_

When the song ends, she places on hand on her hip and makes a peace sign with the other. She even has one eye close to make it look like she's winking. Ichigo smiles up at her in her accomplishment.

"Ichigo!!"

She turns towards the dome and Mint, Lettuce, and Zakuro run pass the trees towards her. Ichigo smiles bigger as she calls to them, "Everyone! I'm so glad you're okay!" They run to her and they smile. Ichigo notices something and lets out, "Your wounds! They're gone!"

Lettuce says, "It must be because of Pudding's Mew Aqua. She saved everyone in the dome and she healed our wounds. You're wounds are gone too!" Ichigo looks at her arms and her body and Lettuce is right; no burns or anything!

Pudding flies down to her friends and cheers, "Hooray! I did it, na no da!"

Ichigo hugs Pudding and says, "Congratulations Pudding! You saved the day!"

Mint says, "But what I want to know is how Pudding transformed into her full angel form? She just woke up and then she just transform."

Pudding cheers, "Must be because I brought Taru-Taru back, na no da!" All eyes got wide as they look at her.

Ichigo asks, "Taruto…came back? How?! When did this happen?!"

"It happened underground, na no da," Pudding answers like it was a no brainer. "That reminds me, na no da. Where is he, na no da? Taru-Taru! Where are you, na no da?!!" She turns away from the other angels and starts calling for him.

Lettuce says, "Wait, Pudding-san!" She sounds desperate as Pudding looks at her friends.

Ichigo asks, "What happened down there that allowed you to get Taruto back?"

"Well I…" she didn't finish. She remembers what happens and her cheeks flares up. She puts on a clueless face and answers, "I don't remember." All but Zakuro collapsed to the floor.

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"No…No! It can't be true…It can't be true!" Sardon mumbles, on his knees and grasping his head. Kish is curled up into a ball next to him and dripping from his eyes are blood tears. He's holding his chest with his arms as he continues to cry.

Approaching them from behind, Deep Blue walks towards them and kneels to his legs. He lightly puts his ice cold hand on Sardon's shoulder as his other arm is on Kish's back in a sign of comfort. He says, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's true."

Kish mumbles, "It can't be, my lord. It can't be!" More blood tears fall from his eye and stain his face as tears are starting to leak out of Sardon as well.

Sardon silently cries, "Tart! Tart!"

"But it is," Deep Blue says. "Tart is dead. He died as a human."


	33. Water Romance

**A/N: Hello everyone!!! Sorry that this is another long chapter but there was a lot of things that needed to be written. But think of it this way, just about three more chapters or so and this story is over! Then I can start writing the other story.**

**Kuro: She would also like to say that the results for 'You're a Girl' and 'The Truth is Speaking to you, Ichigo' are still the same. A tie but with more votes.**

**Tsukiko: Just a reminder, the vote won't be over until chapter 34 for this story is out. So if you still want to vote for your favorite story, you better still say that you want story so and so to be next in a review. Remember that you can only vote once for each review that you sent. So if you want to vote twice, then you have to send two reviews.**

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the song she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!!**

_How do you tell someone who has been drowned by the waters of depression that they're not alone anymore? Especially when the waters filled their ears?_

Ch. 33: Water Romance

'_Okay! I'm going to do it! There's no stopping me now!'_ Ichigo thinks as she closes Ryou's door behind her. There he is, still unconscious on his bed with the blood transfer still attached to him. It's amazing on how he's still unconscious after getting about buckets and buckets worth of blood inject into him. But yet again, the agents took a lot of blood; almost to the point of being completely dry of blood.

After the dome and the humans in it are saved, the angels went home before they came out. When they arrived, Keiichiro was ready to scold Ichigo in a calm, gentleman way but the angels told him that she saved them before Kish killed them and if it wasn't for her, then probably Pudding wouldn't have woken up and saved them all. Half of the glory actually went to her. What Keiichiro wanted to know was how she got there through light like she just teleported or something. Her answer was that she didn't know. She just did it. Lettuce, Mint and Pudding fell over as Zakuro and Keiichiro stared at her, shocked and surprised by that answer.

Inside the café, Keiichiro showed everyone that the instruments came in. There was a harp, a violin, drums, and many other instruments. The one that caught Lettuce's attention was the grand piano that was up in the corner. Keiichiro asks her if she wanted to play but she says no very fast and very nervously. Keiichiro allows her go as her eyes went back to the piano.

After dinner and cleaning up, Ichigo now has nothing to distract her from figuring out what Ryou saw. She walks over to his bed and sits down on the side. She stares at his unconscious face a little longer before reaching for his face with two hands. Both of her hands are ready to touch his head with a hand on each side of his face. She hesitates for a bit and gulps. She's worried if it still won't work.

'_No!'_ she tells herself. _'I need to do this! Pudding says that Taruto came back so that means that there is hope after all! I just need to believe for all of our sakes! No! That got me in trouble last time. I'm going to do this because I want to help. I want to help Kisshu.'_ With that thought, she touches his face and just like what happened with Lettuce and Pudding, visions went through her head and her eyes widen as she watch the nightmare he had.

While she was seeing visions, Mint enters the room to check on Ryou and she sees Ichigo on his bed and leaning over him. She wonders, _'What is Ichigo doing in here?'_She closes the door behind her and goes behind Ichigo.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Mint calls, shaking her. Ichigo doesn't answer. She's watching Ryou's nightmare, or rather taking it away from him. Mint gets a little anxious as she asks, "Yo, Ichigo! Earth to Ichigo!" Finally, Mint grabs her shoulders and pulls her up, "Ichigo!"

Ichigo's hands are no longer touch Ryou's head as she blinks and then shakes her head. She sees Mint and asks, "Mint? What are you doing here?"

Mint says, "I should be asking you that question. You looked like you were going to kiss him!"

Ichigo asks, "Me kiss Ryou? The slave driver who makes you work for long hours and keeps taking your well earn money when you only made the tiniest mistakes? Do you really think that I would kiss him? Also, I asked you first. Are you here to kiss him?" Mint turns red from that question. She turns around and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

She answers, "N-No! I came to check on him is all." Ichigo couldn't help but smile at Mint's embarrassment.

"Well, I better hit the sacks. Goodnight, Mint." Ichigo gets off the bed and heads for the door.

Mint tells her, "Goodnight."

When Ichigo had the door open, she looks behind to face Mint as she calls, "Mint!"

Mint looks at her from over her shoulders and asks, "What do you want?"

"Don't worry too much, okay? You're going to get sick and I'm sure that he doesn't want to wake up to a Mint that looks terrible."

Mint turns red and yells, "You're terrible!! Get out!"

Ichigo laughs and says, "Alright, alright! I'm leaving. Bye!" She leaves the room and gentle closes the door.

After she heard the door close, Ichigo rushes to her room and closes the door behind her. She goes to her desk and takes out ten five sheets of blank paper. She sits down with a pen in her hand and starts writing down the dream she saw Ryou had. _'I need to write this down before I forget it. Then I can organize all this information. What I just saw was something very important. The reason why Deep Blue is the devil.'_

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It's five in the morning and Lettuce hasn't slept a wink. Even though Pudding said that she doesn't remember what happened, what happened was that Pudding went to see Lettuce before they both went to bed. She tells Lettuce that she remembers what happened between her and Taruto but she didn't want to say anything because it was a bit embarrassing. Lettuce is surprise to hear that as she listens to her story. Pudding even mentions the confession she made and the kiss she received from him after he saves her from the death. Lettuce is beyond shock by that. Was the way to save the agents is to confess your love to them? After that talk, Pudding went to bed and Lettuce tried to sleep but can't. If confessing was all that was needed then when Ichigo was controlled, why didn't her confession of love save Kisshu that time? Was it because it was not real or is there more than to just tell someone that you love them?

Lettuce is sitting up in her bed as she stares out the window. Outside the glass is a sun that's starting to rise. The sun's rays are decoration the sky with brilliant colors of orange, yellow, and blue. It's beautiful and she used to love watching the sunrise or the sunset, but now they bring no comfort to her troubled heart. After a bit, Lettuce swings her legs over her bed and gets up. She goes to her desk and takes a stitched blanket to hang on her shoulders for warmth. She goes to her door and quietly closes it on her way out. She tip toes from the hallway to down the stairs into the café where the instruments are. She walks passed the other instruments and goes to the piano. She sits down and lifts up the cover to reveal beautiful smooth back and white keys. She smoothes one finger across the keys and smiles.

'It's been so long since I played. Playing the piano used to bring me comfort when I was alone and…it was how I met Pai-sensei on the first day of high school.'

_On the first day of school…_

_Lettuce decides to take a tour around her new school. She went from eighth grade to tenth grade, a freshman in high school. But things are not going as she hoped. After the ceremony, there was a group of three girls that went up to her and asked her if she was sure that she belongs here. She says yes and introduces herself but they just call her a brainiac and brushes her off. In fact, most of the students did that too her. She skipped a grade, yes but it doesn't mean that she's a freak._

_After exploring all over the campus except for the top level where the music and art rooms are, the sun outside is starting to set. She peeks into one last room that she hasn't looked at and she sees the music room but all she sees is a piano. Her whole face perks up as she enters the room._

"_A piano!" she exhales, happily. She rushes over to the beautiful instrument and sits down. She traces her fingers across the smooth keys and says, "It's been so long since I played, but I think one piece won't hurt." She looks at the door and all around the room. She sees no one so she starts playing with her fingers flying across the keys. She's playing a piece by Beethoven called 'Ode to Joy' and the way she plays it is beyond the most beautiful thing._

_Pai, who was on the same level as her, hears the beautiful music and stops before going down the stairs. He's curious by the sound so he walks over to the open music room and he sees Lettuce sitting by the piano playing as if she's Beethoven herself. He recognizes the piece and leans against the wall to listen her continue. When she was done, she takes her hands off the keys and sweetly smiles at the beautiful instrument._

_**Clap, clap, clap**_

_**Clap, clap, clap**_

_Surprise by that, Lettuce looks up at the door to see Pai clapping. But when she looked up at him, he stops and says, "I'm sorry. I couldn't help but overhear."_

_She freaks out, judging by his age that he must be an upperclassman. She quickly stands up and bows down, "I'm sorry, sempai! I know I shouldn't be here, but-" Before she could finish, she notices that when she suddenly stood up, the chair is starting to fall backwards. She quickly catches it and lifts it up. Then the cover on the piano falls and it made her jumps. She puts the chair back under the piano and bows again. "I'm sorry!"_

"_Pfft," she hears Pai start. She looks up and she see him trying to hold his laughter behind a hand. He's trying to hold in his laughter. She turns red in embarrassment as he stops._

"_Forgive me," he says, calming down. "I couldn't help but laugh. You're very funny, Miss.."_

"_Lettuce __Midorikawa!" she answers, bowing again. "My name is Lettuce Midorikawa. I am a new student here."_

_He bows and greets, "My name is Pai Takokujin. I am the school's doctor." Lettuce sharply stands up from that._

_She asks, "You're the school's doctor?! But you're so young!"_

_He stands up straight and tells her, "I skipped the high school grades and went straight to college after middle school. I still continued to skip years even in college and graduated with a doctor's degree."_

_Lettuce thinks, __**'Amazing! He skipped so many grades and got a job as a doctor at such a young age! He's like me, almost.'**_

_Pai then says, "I know it's unnatural. I'm sorry to surprise you, but you look like a middle school student unlike the high school students that are here now."_

_Lettuce turns red in shyness and looks away, saying, "I skipped a grade and went to high school when I should be in ninth grade. I guess we're kind of alike, Pai-sensei. Except you're beyond smarter than me and…I think that's so cool." Pai stares at her wide eyes as she give him a soft gentle smile._

_Then something weird happens. An earth quake starts and both Lettuce and Pai stumble from the sudden shake in the ground. Pai is shocked by that as Lettuce is getting a little scared. Then a white light shines from under Lettuce as a black light shines from under Pai. They stare down at the ground, shocked/scared and confuse on what's happening as something different happens to them._

_Now…_

Lettuce still remembers that day clearly. After the earthquake and being infused with the heavenly powers of Prince Ryou and the hellish powers of Lord Deep Blue, they woke up as if nothing happened. Pai escorts her out of the building and they said goodbyes to each other. It was raining that night and Lettuce had the deep urge to go out in the rain. After sneaking pass her parents and her brother, she goes out into the rain and feels so much better. It was probably a good thing that she did. After being out for a bit, she heard a scream and fallows it to see Pai sucking the blood out of someone who had a knife in his hands. Pai notices her and recognizes her immediately of the girl from school. He runs off as Lettuce is left with the image of him killing someone. But when she saw the knife, she assumes that he must have been someone who was ready to kill someone.

In the morning, she heads for the doctor's office but the same three girls from before bothers her and takes her to the pool. They ask her if she wanted to be their friend and she says yes, then they told her their conditions. She was going to do their homework and to obey what they command. Lettuce was being cornered and she didn't like it. Before she knew it, the water from the pool shot out and grabs the three girls. The water starts drowning them as Lettuce was still scared. Then Pai appeared and stops her from killing the girls. She starts crying in his arms as he holds her in comfort. After those two days, those two have been close. They understood the feeling of being smarter than anyone else and for being a monster or a freak; unaccepted by society. That memory must be a distant memory for Pai but to Lettuce, it felt like it's all happened yesterday.

Lettuce sadly looks at the keys and hover her hands over the keys. She mumbles, "Pai-sensei. Can you hear my music? It's for you and your kindness." After that, she starts playing a song and starts singing it.

_L'ultima Bugia__ by Roberta Bonanno_

_Ti strapperò da me,  
da queste notti che  
mi parlano di noi  
__  
Eviterò le vie,  
le nostre compagnie  
mordendo le lenzuola non mi convincerò  
di un'altra vita,  
qualunque vita sia  
__  
Un treno verso il niente  
l'ultima bugia  
quanta fatica fuggire via per poi trovarti sempre in me._

Hearing the soft, gentle music and the strong singing voice, everyone woke up from it. Mint who was sleeping in Ryou's room also heard it and wakes up. Being curious, everyone got up and start to head down to the music. Somehow the music had a certain comfort to it, like they feel recharged and renew.

_E poi mi perderò tra braccia che non so  
ma è me che tradirò  
ma qualcosa devo fare se vivere è un dovere  
e riuscissi almeno a odiarti,  
riuscire a immaginare_

Everyone arrives in the café so quietly that Lettuce doesn't notice them. They all stare at her, shock and amaze at how her fingers fly across the keys like a pro and how powerful her voice is. It even touched Ichigo. They even saw how into it she got when it started to get serious. What no one realizes is that Lettuce's music started to awaken Ryou. He opens his eyes as he can still hear Lettuce's music.

_Un'altra vita  
un brivido, un segnale  
un gesto di speranza in questo temporale  
ma quanta strada per poi trovarti qui  
e mi fa piangere  
la mia fragilità  
difendere il mio orgoglio non so più  
e non mi consolerà; quest' ultima verità;  
e niente serve a niente  
se tu non tornerai, no!_

_un'altra vita, qualunque vita sia  
; solo un cielo spento, un'ultima bugia._

Lettuce plays the last keys of the song and she lift her hands off from the keys.

_Clap, clap, clap, clap_

_Clap, clap, clap, clap_

_Clap, clap, clap, clap_

Lettuce sharply looks up and she sees everyone down at the café, clapping for her in support. Keiichiro says, "Amazing, Lettuce-san. That was beautiful."

"Amazing, na no da!" Pudding cheers. "Amazing, na no da!"

Lettuce chuckles a bit in embarrassment as she turns a little red and says, "Thank you, everyone. Thank you." Then she starts crying. They stopped clapping as they approach her. Ichigo was the one who had her hands on Lettuce's shoulders.

"Lettuce? What's wrong?" she asks.

In between sobs, Lettuce answers, "Pai-sensei! When I met him, I was…I was playing the piano. He did the same thing as…you guys. Just sneaked in and clapped when I was done. I…I…I missed him so much!" Then she turns to Ichigo and starts sobbing uncontrollably. Ichigo wraps her arms around her and allows her to cry.

Pudding tried to cheer her up with reminding, "You'll get him back, na no da. I got Taru-Taru back and I had to do was say I'm sorry that I got him upset, na no da." Most of the angels froze from that.

They asked at the same time, "What?!!" Pudding fell down from the impact of their voices.

Ichigo asks, "You said that you were sorry for getting him upset?!!" Pudding looks like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Lettuce pushes herself away from Ichigo's hold and wipes away the last of her fallen tears. "Pudding-san, I think it might be best to tell them. You told me so maybe it won't be as embarrassing as you believe it is."

"But it is, na no da!" Pudding tells her.

Mint calls, "Pudding! What happened between you and Taruto yesterday?"

Seeing that she can't escape, Pudding let out and sigh and tells them everything that happened underground from when Tart beat her to when she fainted. She was red when she mentions that she told him that she loves him and when he kissed her.

Zakuro asks, "After you fainted, he must have teleported you to the surface. We did after all see you appear in his usual teleportation."

Pudding says, "Must be, na no da. But the weird part is that I didn't seem him after that, na no da."

Ichigo suggests, "Maybe it's because he's in hiding. Since he's back to his old self and the other agents aren't, he went into hiding so that he can protect you."

"Well I hope it's that, na no da. I miss him, na no da."

Mint puts a hand on her friend's shoulder and says, "I bet he misses you too, but just wait. When this whole thing is over, I bet he's going to come running to your house before you know it." Somehow, that brought a smile to Pudding's face.

Keiichiro smiles at how the girls are supporting their friends as he says, "Well I think we should all go back to bed. It's still too early and you're all going to need some rest for tonight." Tonight is going to be the Karaoke party that Mint mentioned yesterday. After they put the barrier back up, they have to stay inside the café seriously this time and a Karaoke party seems like a nice way to keep the girls occupied; so that a certain someone doesn't break it again. This time, since Ichigo would probably want to open her window again, he'll have the barrier be big enough to protect at least five feet of the land around the café.

The girls nodded and some of them yawned. The bigger yawner was Lettuce since she still hasn't slept yet. They all headed back up stairs and said goodnight to each other again. Ichigo wanted to use the bathroom before she goes to bed as Mint was heading for her room.

Then she remembers, before entering, _'Oh that's right! I slept in Ryou's room. I better get my blanket back.'_ She heads for Ryou's room and enters, closing the door half way.

Mint goes to the side of the bed and puts the chair back to the desk and starts folding her blanket that she used to cover herself when she was sleeping on the side. Then she hears, "Mint…" Her eyes shot open and she looks down at Ryou's bed. There she saw him awake and looking at her. Her eyes start to water up as she see him finally awake after so long.

"Ryou!" she calls, collapsing on his chest and starts crying. He winces in pain but stops when he hears her, "I'm so happy you're awake." He lets out a sigh and uses one hand to gentle pet her head in comfort. She tries to calm down from his touch and from hearing his heartbeat at a steady pace.

Ryou asks her, "What happened? How long have I've been out?"

Mint calms her tears as she answers his questions with telling him that she thinks it's been five days and what happened after the agents attack to Pudding saying that she was able to get Taruto back. During the explanation, Ryou kept mumbling 'stupid Ichigo' every time he hears Ichigo doing something she wasn't supposed to do. But he was surprise on how she was kissed by Kish, arrives at the dome in a white light, and sings at Kish. He was even more shock at how Pudding was able to get Taruto back by confessing her love and telling him that she's sorry for making him upset.

"So there is a way to save them," Ryou concludes.

Mint nods and answers, "According to Pudding, yes. He hasn't shown up so it could be that he's in hiding for Pudding's own good. Somehow, I don't believe it."

"Same here," Ryou mumbles. Then he tries to sit up. Mint, who is on her knees next to his bed, gets off his chest and watches him sit up.

She puts her hands on his shoulders when she can see clearly on his face that it's too painful. "Ryou, please! You just woke up! At least rest a little longer, besides everyone already went to bed." Well, almost everyone.

Ichigo gets out of the bathroom and yawns. She's still a cat apparently so she needs more sleep than necessary. Apparently, the room she has to pass to get to hers is Ryou. She hears Ryou tell Mint, "I'm fine, Mint. I've already been unconscious for five days." Ichigo stops walking and looks at Ryou's room. She looks through the opening in the door and sees Ryou awake, sitting up, and Mint's with him.

She tries to tell him, "But it's too early for you to be up and about! At least rest for two more hours or so! Okay?"

Ryou just stares at her as he asks, "Have you been here every night by any chance?" Mint was taken back by that question. She drops her hands and looks away, a bit embarrass.

Ichigo thinks, _'Hold on! Is Mint going to confess?!'_

Mint admits, "I stay here when I'm not working but onee-sama thinks that I should sleep on a bed. This is the first time that I was able to sneak passed her and sleeps here. Sorry if that sounds weird."

'_Okay, Ryou! I know that you're the Prince of Heaven and my boss, but if you cast her aside then I will make sure that you don't get up for about two years!'_ Ichigo threatens, secretly rooting for her friend.

Ryou lightly smiles at her and uses his hand to move some of her hair to behind her ear. Mint looks up, red as Ichigo was starting to get excited. Ryou tells her, "I don't think it's weird. Thank you for staying with me." Mint couldn't help but smile with his warm fingers still touching her soft skin. Ichigo smiles and then walks away.

She thinks, _'I'll let that go for now. Mint is sometimes a snob and Ryou is a jerk so this might be a slow developing relationship. I hope so! Mint deserves some real love after everything that we've been through.'_ After that, Ichigo goes into her room and closes the door behind her. Even though she yawned, she wanted to write something down so she goes to her desk and gets out another sheet of paper. There she starts writing down Pudding's valuable information that she now has the courage to tell.

'_Okay! Taruto came back when Pudding hugged him and then confessed her love to him. Then she falls and calls out her little nickname that she used to give him. He saves her and then kisses her. She told him that she's sorry for yelling at him and he tells her that he's sorry for doing terrible things to her. She said before she passed out, she told him that she's an angel so she forgives him and will forget about the things he did. So there is more to saving them then just confessing your love. But I think I need to see this personally just to see. Since Taruto is taken care of, there is still Sardon and Kish to worry about. Lettuce deeply cares for Pai so hopefully the next time we see them, she can take care of him. Then I got Kish, but if I'm supposed to express my love to him, how can I when that love died off a long time ago?'_

After that wondering question when she was done writing, the mark on her thigh disappears.

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About three hours later, Keiichiro was down stairs making breakfast for everyone. Ichigo, Zakuro, and Pudding came down but Mint and Lettuce are still asleep. Then while they were eating, Mint comes running and announces the big news about Ryou. Keiichiro immediately goes up to see him as Pudding and Zakuro fallows right behind him. Already knowing that he's up, Ichigo just smiles and walks up the stairs while Mint ran up behind Zakuro. She sees the big commotion of Ryou being awake from the door and just watches the happy scene. Then Lettuce comes up from behind her, tired and sees Ryou moving. She starts crying in happiness and rushes over to see him. She gently hugs him and he just turns red and pets her head. When Ryou sees Ichigo at the door, he looks like he's waiting. Ichigo rolls her eyes and then goes over and hugs him. She even tells him that she's happy that he's finally awake. Ryou tells her that she's going to be punish for doing unnecessary things when he was unconscious and she hits him in the head for that. Mint and Keiichiro got worried for Ryou since Ichigo just hit him, but he's fine.

After that, Keiichiro told everyone to go back to eating while he does a few tests on Ryou to check his condition. They did and Mint was happily eating her breakfast. One time, Ichigo asks her if she's sick or something and Mint rudely told her to shut up. Ichigo didn't fight back as she finished her food. She knows perfectly well why Mint is so happy. Lettuce was still half asleep and she was ready to hit her waffles but Pudding and Ichigo, who are sitting next to her, stop her. After breakfast, they clean up and Zakuro asked Mint and Ichigo to take up the boys' breakfast. They agreed. Both Ichigo and Mint with a plate of food, go up stairs and were about to enter Ryou's room when they hear something very interesting.

"You don't remember, Prince Ryou?" Keiichiro asks in disbelief. Ryou just shakes his head back and forth.

Mint and Ichigo lean in as Mint whispers, "What are they talking about?"

Ryou tells Keiichiro, "I don't remember but I have a feeling that whatever nightmare I had, it was very shocking and I think I was going to get a heart attack from it."

Mint whispers, "Ryou…doesn't remember the night mare he had?" Both her and Ichigo stand up straight as she turns to Ichigo like she's guilty of something. "Ichigo! What were you doing to him last night?"

Seeing that there is no reason to hide it, she answers, "Look I may sound crazy and I don't know how this thing works, but I seem to have gain the power to see things or rather memories. The first time it happened, I touched Lettuce's head and she was telling me Pai's memories that she gain from him. While she was telling me, however, I saw them. It happened with Pudding and after I tried it on Ryou, it didn't work the first time. Then last night when you caught me, it worked. I thought I only gained the power to see the memories; not take them away."

Mint asks her, "Do you remember what the nightmare was?"

Ichigo tried to remember the nightmare herself, but answers, "I don't remember." Mint was ready to kill her right there. Now the nightmare is lost forever, or so she thought.

Keiichiro opens the door wider and asks, "Can I help you two ladies?"

Both Mint and Ichigo jump in surprise by that. They didn't expect him to suddenly appear. They calm down and Ichigo tells him, "Zakuro sent us to give you and Ryou your breakfast." Mint hands Ryou's food to Keiichiro as Ichigo hands his food to him.

Keiichiro smiles at them and says, "Thank you."

Mint asks, "So is there anything wrong with Ryou?"

Keiichiro shakes his head. "He's perfectly fine now but I think another day of rest would be good before he starts walking around and working. He'll be at the party though." Mint lets out a sigh of relief.

"Well that's good," she breaths out with a smile.

Keiichiro asks, "You fancy the prince, don't you Mint-san?" Ryou heard him and turn into unripe strawberry while Mint turned into a ripe red delicious apple.

"Well, we better get going!" Ichigo says, pulling the red Mint back. She tells him, "Tell Ryou that I hope he gets better soon so we can see who the better singer at the party is." Ryou heard that too and got a vein pulsing on his head. After that, Ichigo helps Mint walk properly to the kitchen to finish cleaning.

After they finished cleaning, Lettuce went back to bed and Ichigo went back to her room. She was reviewing the notes she took and the dream that Ryou had. She lied to Mint because she's not so sure about Ryou's dream herself. What she didn't realize was that the dream he had and the way that Ichigo wrote it down, it was an exact copy of the book that Pai used to read in hell and the one that Kisshu grabbed when he was trying to figure out what the warm feeling he got was. But unlike Kisshu, she didn't get the last part she wrote.

'_**An angel is a being filled with feelings of love and will not feel hatred. Agents are beings filled with hatred so they cannot feel love. However is an angel feels hate then the agent will be stronger and if an agent feels love then the angel will get stronger. Humans are beings filled with both love and hatred. If a human is filled with mostly hatred then thou will become an agent and if a human is filled with love then thou will be an angel. The most painful thing you will ever learn is to hate and be hated in return but the greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.'**_

Amazing how you don't understand what you wrote even though it's very important information.

Then it was around three o'clock and Lettuce finally woke up. She started moving around and then she suddenly got a very, very bad feeling. She goes to Ichigo's room and knocks. Ichigo hears her and says, "Come in!" Lettuce opens the door and enters. She looks trouble as Ichigo asks, "What's wrong?"

Lettuce answers, "Ichigo-san, something is not right but I don't know what. Can we go for a walk?"

Ichigo nods and answers, "Sure. You want to go in secret?" Lettuce nods.

After that, Lettuce went back to her room and changes into something else besides her pj's as Ichigo did the same. Lettuce put on a long light green skirt and a dark blue short sleeve shirt. She fixed her hair back to its usual two braids and she put on some white heels. Ichigo puts on the tight knee length jeans and a white shirt with blue trimmings and a yellow ribbon bow in the middle of the color. Her hair is fixed and up in her usual two pigtails. Ichigo tells Lettuce that they have to go through the window and now Lettuce is regretting putting a skirt on but she feel likes she needs to get out now. Ichigo jumps out of the window first and Lettuce was going to jump out next but she's not a cat.

Lettuce shutters, "I-I-Ichigo-san! I-I-Isn't there a-a-a-another way?" Her hands are clinging on the window pane as her legs are shaking like a leaf.

Ichigo answers, "It's either this or the front door. The others are at the kitchen so we can't go through the back door and we might get caught if we use the front door. Sorry."

Lettuce shakes her head and says, "It's okay, but I wish that there is another way."

"Well don't worry. I'm right here! I'll catch you!" To prove her point, Ichigo reaches for Lettuce. Somehow, she still doesn't feel safe. But she has to try.

Lettuce prepares herself and puts her teeth on her tongue. She pushes herself and bites her tongue to keep from screaming. Ichigo catches her but they both ended up tumbling down. Lettuce immediately gets up and says, "I'm sorry! Are you hurt?"

Ichigo answers getting up, "I'm fine. Shall we go?" Lettuce nods and they start walking.

Since Ichigo is only the walking companion for today, she fallows. Lettuce leads them both to Tokyo Harbor; the same place where she last saw Pai as Pai instead of Sardon. They both sat on the edge of the harbor and Lettuce kept starting down at her lap. The sky is almost cloudy and the water looks so calm and blue. The wind was blowing gentle, causing their hair to fly as Ichigo looks at Lettuce in a worried matter.

"So what's wrong?" she finally asks, breaking the silence between them. "You hardly said a word on the way here. Is there something troubling you?"

Lettuce asks her, "Ichigo-san, do you still love Kisshu, despite everything that happened?" Ichigo is surprise by that question. She didn't answer so Lettuce tells her, "I know that Pai-sensei killed people even though they were criminals but it's still wrong to take a human life. He told me that no one will understand what we have become besides each other and he kept telling me that I can always get back the mean upperclassmen. But even though I know it was wrong, I was happy to be with him. After school, I would go to his office and keep him company while he still had work. I even remember how he would check my answers some times and help me when I needed it. He would take me out for a snack after he was done and we would talk. Then when he turned against me, that was the saddest I ever been because I never realized how lost I am without him. Then something kept telling me that I should hate him for leaving me but I couldn't. It was then that I realized that I love Pai-sensei. My love for him is deeper than the big blue sea, but he never got the chance to hear me say that. Instead he misunderstood that the kiss I gave to Ryou-san was a mouth-to-mouth resurrection. I didn't kiss him because I love Ryou-san. I only did that to save his life. I understand how he became a full agent but what I don't understand is why Pai-sensei chose to betray me. I guess he didn't like me like how I like him."

Lettuce was on the verge of tears after saying all of that. Ichigo face relaxes in a sad way as she asks, "Do you want me to tell you my theory?" Lettuce looks up at her, curious as Ichigo answers, "Remember the night that we found out that you are one of us? After we forgave each other, we started splashing and tickling each other. We all were smiling and laughing and I think that Pai was there when we were doing that. I think that he really cared for you since he became a full agent after seeing you with another person. You're telling me that you two were really close so that means that during your time together, you both relied on each other since there was no one else who would understand you at the time. That means that when he saw you happy with us, he must have felt betrayed because he felt like you were leaving him behind."

"But I was going to go see him the next day to tell him about you guys, but he wasn't there for me to tell him."

"I think that Deep Blue and Kish got to him first. For all we know, Kish probably got to Pai the moment he saw how happy you were with us."

Lettuce eyes are glossy as she looks back at her lap and says, "And that just added more sadness and loneliness to his heart."

"It would seem so. Then after that kiss, he cracked." Ichigo looks up at the sky and says, "I think I still like Kisshu." Lettuce looks at her, hearing that Ichigo is answering her earlier question. "I'm very confuse so right now, I don't feel the love I had for him before. Now I just want to save him because he's important to me. I don't want him to feel any more pain because of what I did. I found out that the reason why Kisshu left me in the first place was because he thought I had feelings for Ryou. He saw Ryou comforting me and misunderstood. He thought I betrayed him and then when I thought he betrayed me with kissing Mint, I told him that I hated him. That made him crack and he became a full agent right before my eyes. Finding out why Taruto has so much anger and why Pai has so much sadness is easy but finding out why Kisshu has so much hatred is beyond me. From what I know, he's always been a very happy and teasing guy. Especially when we went out, he was very fun. Then after I said three words, just three little words, he became a hateful, murdering monster and I don't know why."

Lettuce places her hand on Ichigo's as a sign of comfort and tells her, "Sometimes, words are worst than actions. You're a bright girl to have figured out so much, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"And yet I can't even figure out a simple math problem," Ichigo tries to joke.

Lettuce says, "Allow me to help you with that when this is over." Then they both just smiled and laugh. What stopped them was a green glow from Ichigo's hand.

They look down and they saw Ichigo's hand that is under Lettuce's hand glow bright green. Lettuce takes her hand off and Ichigo lifts her hand off. Since her hand is no longer on hers, the green glow fades away. Ichigo looks at the front and the back of her hand and nothing changed. What she didn't notice was that the mark appeared back on her upper thigh.

She mumbles, "This is what happened before. Oh my god! Why didn't I notice it before?!"

"Notice what?" Lettuce asks, curious about what Ichigo just figure out.

Ichigo tells her, "That day at Tokyo Tower, I saw my hand glow two different colors because it was touching two different people; Mint and Kisshu! Mint's music is opera and Kisshu's is rock. That song that I sang with him, did it sound like I was singing a soprano?"

Lettuce thinks about it and answers, "Now that you mention it, yes. You don't mean that you probably borrowed their music and combined it do you?"

"Well if I borrow the music, then that means that my soul music in the beginning was anonymous. Whatever I touch, I borrow. If that's the truth then it's no real surprise since now I have a gift to look at memories or take them away."

"Take them away?"

"I overheard Keiichiro asking Ryou if he remembers this nightmare he's been having when he was unconscious. Ryou told him that he doesn't remember it but he knows that whatever it was, it gave Ryou a heart attack. On the night before he woke up, I wanted to see that nightmare so I looked. I probably stole it."

"Or probably not. The way the human mind works is that we don't remember the dreams after we have them. It's the same as making a memory with someone but over time, we forget about it. Not unless we burn it into our hearts. I think that Ryou didn't want to nightmare so he forgot about it after he woke up."

"That or I really did stole it. Man, I don't know what the hell is wrong with me." Ichigo leans over and looks at the water. Then right in front of her, the blue water started to turn red; like blood. "Oh my god!"

"What?" Lettuce asks. She looks down and she sees the water turn red as well. Then suddenly, two bodies came flouting by and they look drained of blood. "EYYYYAAAA!!!" Lettuce screams, getting up. Ichigo gets up and away from the edge in shock of seeing that. She saw worst so this wasn't that scary but Lettuce's eyes are still that of a virgin. Lettuce clings onto Ichigo and Ichigo holds her and tries to comfort her after seeing that terrifying sight. Just to be sure, Ichigo looks up at the sky and it's now completely cloudy. They're in trouble.

Ichigo looks at Lettuce and tells her, "Lettuce! Call the others!"

Getting the idea, Lettuce nods and takes out her blotch. Ichigo lets go of Lettuce and allows her to make her call. She just wanted to check something. Ichigo goes to the edge and kneels down to examine the water. The two bodies are far off now but the water is still red. She kneels a little closer and takes a whiff. _'The water has some substance of blood but that's not all it. There's something else in it. Something…toxic. Hold on! Am I telling the difference between water mixed with toxic and water mixed with blood?! How the hell is that happening? Or is it…my cat abilities to have good sense of smell? Am I…gaining them back?'_

Lettuce finished her call and Keiichiro tells her that the others are on their way. She turns around back to Ichigo and got another bad feeling. "Ichigo-san! Get away from there!"

Ichigo sensed it too. She jumps back just in time before a claw came out of the water and Kish came out. Ichigo looked up surprise to see Kish and very angry, unlike the terrified look he had yesterday. He tries to claw her again but Ichigo jumps back and dodges it. He tries again and again, but she dodges them, again and again. After one more attempt to claw her, Ichigo jumps high up and lands on top of the buildings, safely like a cat. Lettuce stars in amazement as that just made Kish even more furious.

Ichigo is getting a little annoyed herself as she yells, "What the hell is wrong with you, you idiot?! Yesterday, you were terrified of me and now you're trying to kill me as if I just embarrassed you at your own game! What gives?!" He doesn't answer her. He just growls at her and glares. The look in his eyes, Ichigo can tell that he really means it. Something pushed him over the edge. Then she felt something else.

"Lettuce! Transform! Now!"

Lettuce turns around and she sees a black blast coming her way. She quickly gets out of the way and cries out, "Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!" She transform into Mew Lettuce right before she hit the ground from the blast. She looks up and she sees Sardon facing her and his arms up, showing that he was the one who just attacked her. But both Ichigo and Lettuce can see that something is wrong. There's something red on his face.

"Ichigo! Lettuce!"

Both girls look down the dock and they saw the other three Mew Mews, running towards them. Ichigo had to ask while yelling, "How the hell did you two get here so fast?!!"

Mint answers by yelling in an angry well, "We transform and we flew, idiot!"

"And then ran here?! You're the idiot!"

Pudding asks in a calm way, "How did you get all the way up there, na no da?"

Ichigo answers, "How the hell should I know?!"

Kish straightens his wings and then leaps up to get to the same level as Ichigo. She saw him right in front of her and automatically, jumps up off the building right when his claws tried to slice her. She jumps over him and lands on the dock safely on her feet. He turns around and growls as she looks up at him, wondering what the heck is going on. Her friends just watch in amazement; all but Lettuce.

She asks, "Pai-sensei, what's that on your face?" He drops his arms and sadly looks the other way.

"I was crying," he answers. She looks confuse as Kish makes a move.

He goes straight to where Ichigo is. She dodges his attack again and this time, his hand made a hole in the dock. She moves six feet away from where he is and stands up. Her friends run up to her side.

Pudding asks, "Ichigo onee-chan, you okay, na no da?"

Kish looks up at her as Ichigo answers, "I'm fine."

"You little bitch!" Kish hisses. His eyes pierce right through Pudding as Ichigo looks from him to her.

Ichigo steps in front and asks, "What do you want with her, Kish?!"

"I want her dead!" Kish answers, punching the ground. Lettuce and Sardon look at the scene and Kish accuses, "It's because of her, Tart is gone! My little brother is…gone…" He looks down at the ground and bites his lips in grief. Sardon looks the other way and Lettuce figured out why Sardon was crying.

Zakuro asks, "What do you mean? He's still alive. He's just Taruto now."

"You stupid angel!" Kish yells, still looking at the ground. "My brother is dead! That little brat you're protecting killed him!"

Pudding heart just stopped there. Mint yells, "You have to be lying! He can't be dead!"

"Look at me, angel!" Kish yells. "Do I look like I would lie about my own brother's death?! I hate you. I hate you!!" After he asks that, he looks at the ground and moves like a sad animal. His face is even crunch up like he's ready to cry. Ichigo's expression softens at that look.

Sardon explains, "There was no way for him to escape. After he teleported the angel back to the surface, he lost his agent powers and returned back into a human. He died as a human, being crushed." Lettuce stares at Sardon as he looks the other way and he looks like he's ready to cry but two people beat him to the punch.

Pudding's eyes are filled up with tears as she steps back. "No…No it can't be true, na no da. He…He's dead, na no da? Taru-Taru!" Then she falls to her knees and starts crying in her hands. Mint and Zakuro drop down to their knees to comfort her.

Mint tells her, "Hang in there, Pudding!" The other person who's crying is Kish. From the corner of his closed eyes, red blood tears are leaking out and trailing down his face. Then Ichigo just ran to him. Mint sees her and calls out, "Ichigo! Get back here!"

Sardon, Lettuce, and Kish's head snaps up in surprise as Ichigo jumps on Kish and hug him with her arms circling around his neck. His red eyes are wide and blank as she holds him. He just froze there like her hold just paralyzes him. Then she pulls away to look at him face to face. She closes her eyes and her tongue went to his eyes and she licks away his tears; just like how Dren did to her and how Kisshu did to Mint. Her friends stare in surprise as Sardon looked at the scene the same way. Just like the color, the tears are blood but Ichigo didn't mind since she had her share of blood from him.

When she was done, she hugs him again and tells him, "Shh, shh, I'm here. It's okay." Then a warm comforting feeling started to affect him. A memory flashed through too; a memory of confessions and a promise.

The pure feeling was getting too much for the tainted agent as he pushes Ichigo away and starts walking away from her like a scared animal. He even looks like a scared animal. Ichigo looks at Kish surprise as he stops about five feet away from her and was in pain again. Sardon saw that and instantly teleport him to hell. The way to tell that it was he who did it, the way Kish teleported away was by wind currents. Ichigo stares at the area where Kish was as Mint, Zakuro, Lettuce, and Pudding run to her.

Lettuce asks, "Ichigo-san! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answers.

Mint asks, "What were you thinking? He could've killed you and his tears were blood!"

Ichigo tells her, not angry, "I know that but I just saw him crying and reacted."

"Why?"

"…I have no idea." Mint just collapsed to the ground again.

"Why must you angels always try to take away my family?" All of the angels look up at Sardon and he says, "No matter. The humans will die today. From our last encounter, I planted poisonous flowers into the water and slowly, one by one, they bloom and unleashed toxics. Unnoticeable toxics but now that they are all unleash, the poison water will kill anything that drinks it. Look for yourselves." They did and they saw fish coming to the surface, dead.

Lettuce turns to him and asks, "Why would you do this?!"

"To destroy you humans for causing the pain that we had to endure."

Ichigo figures out, _'It's not just us that they're upset about. It's the whole world! Pai was a freak for being so smart, Taruto was angry on how the world treated his family, but what's up with Kisshu?'_ Even though she read his journal, she's still missing a big clue on what's going on.

"Pai-sensei! This is going too far!" Her friends look up in surprise as Lettuce takes a few steps forward. "I know you're a kind person, Pai-sensei. There is no way that you want to do this!"

Zakuro tells her, "Lettuce! You can't reason with him. He's not the person you know."

"'_I am the Phantom of the Opera. I am the ugliest creature on earth. And even while the fires of hell burn this ugly creature, I'm still dream of a place in heaven.'_ Do you remember that line? It was what the phantom told Christine when she saw his face in the book we read? It was our favorite. Remember?"

He rises his arms and aims them at her. He tells her, "Be quiet, angel." Then he sends a big black blast at her. She's shocked by that but it was too late to dodge it. She got hit and went flying about twenty feet away from where she stood before.

"Lettuce!" Ichigo screams. Then another black blast is heading for them. By the time they notice it, it was too late. All four of them went flying, even further than Lettuce.

"You foolish angels," Pai tells them. "The humans will die today and there is no way you can stop it."

Lettuce clenches her fist and then did the one thing she could think of; sing.

_Alas de Libertad__ by Natalia Oreiro_

_Los chicos crecen  
en el lado contrario de la vida  
donde no existe  
ni justicia ni verdad.  
Y como duele  
tanta tristeza en sus sonrisas  
es tan dificil aceptar la realidad  
a donde el hamre  
ya es costumbre a la deriva  
a los costados de cualquier ciudad._

Lettuce helps herself up and sings to Sardon, who is already holding his head in pain from her pure music. Even though she sees that it's hurting, she still continues to sing.

_Que no ven que no oyen  
que no sienten.  
Que mas da si siempre estuvo ahi.  
Que no ven que son ninos  
no pueden esperar.  
Ayudemos a que empiecen a volar  
en sus alas llevan nuestra libertad._

Sardon winces in pain but when she stops for the musical pause, he appears right next to her and hits her in the side. She goes flying straight for the water. She crashes in with a splash. Her friends who were already sitting up and watching are now worried like mad when she fell into the poisonous water. But they didn't call for her because a green light shine from the water and Sardon watch, his eyes not hurting from the light.

Then like a bullet, something shots out of the water and hovers in mid air. It's Lettuce but in her full angel form. She has a white strapless cross bra covering her chest but the rest of her is showing. She has no bottoms for from the waist down is a white mermaid's tail. She has a waist necklace made of entirely of white pearls that hang on top of her tail to knee length. On her head is a pearl head piece that hangs on her head like, almost like hair. Also, she has her ribbons sticking out her head that is just as long as her body. Her wings are three times bigger than before and her body is glowing green. The halo on her head is brighter than before and her expression is soft and gentle. She looks like a mermaid princess with wings. Her gentle blue eyes look down at Sardon and she smiles at him. He's shock to see that as she continues singing. This time, her voice doesn't hurt him.

_Estan descalzos  
van caminando hacia lo incierto  
pol el camino de su triste realidad.  
Si yo pudiera darles  
mas que una moneda.  
Pero no alcanza  
con un pedazo de pan.  
Y van perdiendo, van sufriendo,  
estan creciendo  
en cunas de carton y soledad._

As she's singing, her flapping wings flap down a few feathers that by one touch, the water was back to being clean and pure; free from blood and toxics. Even the fish look like they came back to life and went back to swimming happily in the water.

_Que no ven que no oyen  
que no sienten.  
Que mas da si siempre estuvo ahi.  
Que no ven que son ninos  
no pueden esperar.  
Ayudemos a que empiecen a volar  
en sus alas llevan nuestra libertad._

Lettuce reaches for Sardon and to everyone's surprise, Sardon disappears from where he was to in front of Lettuce. Her smile brightens as he gently grabs her hands and holds them in his. His forehead leans against hers and she can see that his once blue sad eyes turn back to his dark violet ones. Now they are filled with joy as he closes his eyes for being so close to her and she closes her in comfort of being so close to him.

She mumbles, "I love you, Pai-sensei. I love you with all my heart."

Ichigo couldn't help but let out a happy sigh for her friend as she stands up and starts singing to the songs, Lettuce's way. The two love bird up there didn't care as the other angels stare in surprise. Even her body was glowing white when Ichigo was singing.

_**Ichigo**__  
Que no ven, que no oyen  
que no sienten.  
Que mas da  
si siempre estuvo aqui.  
Que no ven, somos ninos.  
No podemos esperar.  
Ayudanos para empezar a volar.  
En tus manos  
llevas nuestra libertad.  
Ayudanos para empezar a volar.  
En tus manos  
llevas nuestra libertad._

Ichigo puts her hands together like she's praying and a flash of someone smiling goes through her mind. This song makes her think of Kisshu and now, her liking him just went to the next level. Now she remembers her love for him.

Lettuce and Pai open their eyes to look at the other and then they closed them again so that they could kiss. The kiss was soft and gentle, very similar to the one that they had before but this one felt more like a first kiss than anything. They broke the kiss and Lettuce hugs Pai with her arms around his neck. "I've missed you so much."

He hugs her back and tells her, "I've missed you too. I'm sorry for the things I've done and said."

She shakes her head and tells him, "It doesn't matter now. We're together again and that's all that matters now."

He whispers, "Yes."

Her friend below couldn't help but smile in happiness for her now, Ichigo smiles at them for a bit but looks down and places a hand on her heart. Their love for each other reopened her heart and now all she can think of is the love of her life.

_Rumble_

_Rumble_

"Uh?!" Ichigo lets out, stumbling. Her glow fades away in surprise of the sudden earth quake as the others are trying to hold themselves up.

Mint gets up as well as Zakuro as she asks, "What's going on?"

Pai and Lettuce release one another and stare down at the shaking dock and the rumbling waters beneath it. Pai then remembers something. "It's the bomb."

Lettuce asks, surprise, "The bomb?!"

He explains, "Kish planted it so that if any of you tried to go in and destroy the toxic plants, then the others would blow up to bits." Lettuce gasps, remembering that she went crashing into the water. That must have triggered the bomb. The other below heard that.

Zakuro's says, "We have to leave before we explode!"

Mint and Ichigo nod in agreement, but then they hear, "Ow!" from Pudding. They look down and it looks like her ankle is twisted. Lettuce sees that Pudding can't get up so she won't be able to get out of here in time.

Pai tells her, "Go help your friends!"

She looks at him surprise but nods. She heads down to her friends and goes to Pudding's side. Her legs glow for a minute before landing and instead of a tail now, she has on long white ankle length pants and beautiful bare feet. She kneels down to Pudding and tries to help her up. However, there was one explosion and it was coming from ahead of them. The explosion causes Ichigo, Mint and Zakuro to fall down and Lettuce stumbles down as well. They look up and ahead of them is smoke and fire. Then another went off and this time, the second explosion looks like it helped the first one form into a ball of fire. The giant ball starts rolling as the third one goes off and it's heading straight for the angels. Ichigo, Mint, Zakuro, and Pudding's eyes are on the giant fire ball coming at them as Lettuce looks up ahead.

She sees Pai standing in between them and the ball. He looks over his shoulder to look at Lettuce one more time and her eyes are wide. He smiles at her, a real genuine smile and tells her, "I love you, Lettuce-san." Then her fears started to take over, but Pai looks back at the ball and summons two giant fans. _'Ichigo…She's the only one who can save Kisshu now. Please help him.'_

"Kuu Rai Sen Puu Jin!!" He swung the giant fans in front of him and a huge giant ball of electricity went for the humongous fire ball. The others noticed his attack and because out the attack between the fireball and his attack was so great, it pushed them back.

"AAHHHHH!!" they let out, flying back. Then they black out.

In hell, Kish froze up and started shaking. That same feeling from before came back as he looked down at the ground with blood tears starting to fall again. He was with Deep Blue and he gasp after watching what happened in his mirror. He look at Kish and he was already leaning over, holding his chest.

"Sardon…SARDON!!!!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_Cerca, lejos, donde sea que estes  
Yo creo que eso es lo que hace el corazon, sigue adelante  
Una ves mas tu abres la puerta  
Y tu estas aqui en mi corazon  
Y mi corazon ira adelante y adelante_

_Tu estas aqui, no hay nada que temer  
Y yo se que mi corazon seguira adelante  
Nosotros nos mantendremos de esta manera por siempre  
Tu estas seguro en mi corazon  
Y mi corazon seguira siempre adelante y adelante_

_(Ending lyrics for __My Heart Will Go On__ Spanish version)_

After that, the music started to fade and Lettuce smiled at everyone. They all started clapping and Lettuce bows before turning crimson red and returning back to her seat. Pudding hands her a fruit juice and she accepts it kindly but drank the whole thing like a drinker.

When they all woke up, the dock was a complete disaster and everyone returned back to their human forms because they were so weak from the attack. Lettuce was even back to her human form. She was the first to wake up with Ichigo and Pudding fallowing right after her. Lettuce forced herself up and looked around. Her friends are with her but she could find Pai. Then the worst came to mind and she broke down crying. Ichigo and Pudding went to her side and tried to comfort her. If Pai is not here then worst comes to show that he probably wasn't as lucky as they were. Then Pudding started breaking down and Ichigo had to hold both of them while Mint and Zakuro woke up soon after hearing them sobbing. Keiichiro called Zakuro's blotch and she reported everything that happened, even the possibility that Pai was demolished by the blasts.

They all went back to the café and Lettuce and Pudding were a mess. Trying to cheer them up, Keiichiro tells them that he made lots of sweets since tonight is supposed to be the night of the karaoke party. Lettuce and Pudding wanted to go back to their rooms but Ichigo convinced them to try and have some fun because she knows that Taruto and Pai wouldn't want them to be sad. Sure it would seem rude to not be sad but she promised them that if they stay for the party, then they can be depress all they want later. Lettuce and Pudding agreed seeing that they don't want their friends to have all the fun.

"Okay! Who's next?!" Ichigo asks.

Mint tries to think and says, "Let's see. Onee-sama went, I went, Keiichiro went, Ryou went, Pudding went, and Lettuce went. Ichigo! It's your turn!"

"Okay," she answers. "What should I sing?"

Zakuro goes through the list and Mint saw one song that she thought would be interesting. Mint presses the numbers and says, "Try this one." The song came up and Ichigo raised a brow at that.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Mint answers. "Do you know this song?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Then go up there and sing it! Don't get cold feet on us now! Didn't you said that you wanted to prove to Ryou who's the better singer?" Mint literally push Ichigo up so that she was in front of everyone before she went back to her seat and presses the start button.

'_She's going to regret it,'_ Ichigo thinks as the music starts up. She lets out a sigh and closes her eyes so that she can remember the lyrics and sing her best.

_Hot N Cold__ by Katy Perry_

_You change your mind  
Like a girl changes clothes  
Yeah you, You're a mess  
Like a bitch  
I would know_

After she sang that one line, now the angels know why she was asking if this song was alright to sing. Oh, well. Too late now.

_And you over think  
Always speak  
Crypticly_

_I should know  
That you're no good for me_

_Cause you're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in then you're out  
You're up then you're down  
You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white  
We fight, we break up  
We kiss, we make up  
(you)You don't really want to stay, no  
(but you)But you don't really want to go-o  
You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down_

_We used to be  
Just like twins  
So in sync  
The same energy  
Now's a dead battery  
Used to laugh bout nothing  
Now your plain boring_

_I should know that  
You're not gonna change_

Now Ichigo is starting to get serious and it's starting to scare her friends. She starts dancing to it, now.

_Cause you're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in then you're out  
You're up then you're down  
You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white  
We fight, we break up  
We kiss, we make up  
(you)You don't really want to stay, no  
(but you)But you don't really want to go-o  
You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down_

_Someone call the doctor  
Got a case of a love bi-polar  
Stuck on a roller coaster  
Can't get off this ride_

_You change your mind  
Like a girl changes clothes_

_Cause you're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in then you're out  
You're up then you're down  
You're wrong when it's right  
It's black and it's white  
We fight, we break up  
We kiss, we make up  
(you)You don't really want to stay, no  
(but you)But you don't really want to go-o  
You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in and you're out  
You're up and you're down_

When the song was done, Ichigo was panting. As surprise as they weren't already, Ryou was the first to move and clap. The others fallow after him after getting over their shock. Ryou even says, "Well done, Ichigo. I'm beat."

"Excuse me," Ichigo tells them. She hands the mic to Mint and goes to the door. When she passed the mic, she looked angry.

Lettuce asks, "Ichigo-san, what are you doing?"

When the door was open, Ichigo took three steps outside. Then she takes a deep breath and screams, "YOU FUCKIN ASSHOLE!!! MAKE UP YOUR DUMBASS FUCKIN MIND ALREADY!!! ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME OR ARE YOU GOING TO BE AFRAID OF ME FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAMN LIFE?!! BECAUSE I'M SURE AS HELL AM ANNOYED!!!!!"

"Oh god," Ryou breaths out, holding his head as if he has a headache.

Mint starts looking through the song book and says, "Someone get her and calm her down while I look for a different song for her to sing." Lettuce and Pudding got up from their chairs and ran up to the door while Zakuro was looking over her shoulder with the controls in her hand.

Well this is going to be a night to remember.


	34. The Truth

**A/N: Hello! I have the results for voting and the winner is……….'You're a Girl?'!!! For those that didn't want this one to win and wanted 'The Truth is Speaking to You, Ichigo' and you didn't vote, well let this be a lesson to all of you that you need to vote. The next chapter will come out when chapter thirty-fie for this story is out.**

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you all and please enjoy!**

_Now you know everything about the one you love, but did you find out too late?_

Ch. 34: The Truth

"Okay! I'm going to open it, today!" Ichigo tells herself, looking at the second yellow folder on a clean cleared desk.

After her little screaming episode last night, they dragged her back in and gave her about five jars of fruit juice to calm down. She was drinking like a seriously drunk drinker. They sang more songs and then clean up before they went to bed. The next day, neither Lettuce nor Pudding came downstairs to eat and strangely, Ichigo didn't either. Ichigo was too busy cleaning her desk and organizing her notes. When she was done, Masha came in and she welcomed him in with open arms. He asked her what she was doing and she answered that she's going to open the second folder that she got from Pai. But before that, she was going to review her notes in order so that they made sense to her. When she was done with one page, she lets Masha read it since he was curious about what she found out. After believing that most of the puzzle is solved, she just has to get one more important piece to complete it and she believes that the second package is it. Pai did tell her that the first one was about the life he had after he met her and the second one is about the life he had before. Maybe that folder has the reason why he's so hateful.

Masha chants. "Mew Ichigo can do it! Go! Go!"

Ichigo smiles at him and says, "Thanks, Masha. But just to be sure, I have to ask myself. Am I absolutely, positively sure that I am ready to open this?" After a thought or two, she heads for the opener. "I had my full of surprises here and there, what else could be more surprising?"

She opens the folder and lets it spill out its insides on to the desk. She's a little surprise with what came out; doctor files, dental records, DNA files, adoption papers, and the missing pages of Kisshu's journal. She takes the journal pages as Masha looks at the doctor, dental, DNA, and adoption files. Ichigo grabs Kisshu's journal and goes to the back to see if the pages are a perfect fit; yes it is.

_**The truth is that eight years ago, I met Ichigo when we were about five or six years old. I moved in next door to her and back then, I was extremely shy because I looked like my mother and was teased about it. At the time, I wanted to look like my dad but that's not important now. Ichigo and I became really good friends. I felt safe with her and she never teased me about looking like my mom or anything. She accepted the shy, clumsy me back then. We told each other that we like each other and we promised marriage with each other through a pinky promise. What tore us apart was that my parents were in a car accident and died at the scene. I went to an adoption home but I promised Ichigo that I would come back after I get adopted. But the parents who adopted me were drinkers. Why they wanted a kid was beyond me, but after getting beaten for the millionth time for two years straight, I ran away when I found out that I was in Osaka. I was young and stupid that I forgot to get some money from my adoptive parents and I was heading for the wrong direction. I went from Osaka to Hiroshima and I was attacked by gangsters. It would seem that no matter where I go, I was going to get beaten to death. Then after a while, I got sick of it and fought back. That was how I learn to fight seeing that was how I was going to survive. I needed money for food and I hid in boxes for shelter from the rain.**_

_**Half a year later, I was mobbed by a gang and was left to die on the streets. Before they attacked me, I didn't have a crumb of food about a week. They attacked me when I was already half dead. Then a little boy about three years younger than me, found me and took me to his apartment that both him and his older brother were staying for the summer. His brother apparently was out to get snacks like he went out for a walk and found me. His brother apparently was a doctor and he took care of my wounds after his little brother begged him too. But while he was doing that, his little brother called 911 on his older brother's orders. Reason was because I was close to death and I had an eye injection it would look like from the oil that those bastards poured into my eyes to make me suffer. When I woke up in the hospital, I felt like shit, no kidding. The little boy and his brother visited me nearly every day and on the third day, the doctor told the older brother about who I really was from my dental records and DNA samples that they took. The little boy asked me who I was and I told him myself. He even asked me why I was trying to head to Tokyo. I told him it was because I wanted to see Ichigo. The older brother told me that my adoptive parents died a year ago from drinking while driving. I wasn't surprise since I knew that drinking was going to kill them one of these days. So since I was an orphan and that the little boy was already attached to me, they decided to adopt me and take me to where the live; Tokyo. I accepted of course because I wanted to get out of Hiroshima and into Tokyo.**_

_**I got out of the hospital about two months later and during that time, I found out that the little boy and the older brother's names are Taruto and Pai Takokujin. My name changed to Kisshu Takokujin since I was joining their family. I didn't mind the new name at all since my eye color changed. The doctor apparently said that my eye infection caused my eyes to change color and it was still changing. I didn't mind that at all because I believe that Ichigo would recognize me instantly. Even she asks me if I was her neighbor, I would say yes and explain everything that happened right there. Pai, or now my nii-san, taught me everything that I missed from school and luckily, I was a quick learner. Since they were already living in an apartment with two rooms, I suggested my old home and they didn't mind it at all. But we had to live in the house in secret. I didn't want to see Ichigo as a reck. Nii-san was still in college but he had a part time job at the Tokyo Hospital so that paid the bills and the groceries and clothes. I was happy to finally get my life back and all I needed was my best friend, or fiancé to complete it.**_

_**On the first day of school, I woke up late and I was lost in the building. I haven't been in a school building for three years. I arrived in class about two or three minutes after school started. Then they told me to sit at an open seat and the one that was open was the ne next to the one person that I loved most and haven't seen in a long time. I recognize her immediately and was amazed on how beautiful she became. The teacher had to tell me to go to my seat so that I could start class. During class, it was hard to control myself. Ichigo was sitting right next to me and she looked so beautiful just sitting there. The years turned her into a celestial being from heaven. I nearly died when she spoke to answer a question. Some of the students were laughing at her and I glared at them. Apparently, the years of living as a homeless kid made people believe I'm a gangster just by looking at me. To prove that, some asshole came up to me after class and told me about his 'brilliant' plan to take over the school and they want me to step down so that a 'gangster' doesn't take over the school. He tried to punch me after I made a comment and out of habit, I dodged and hit his stomach. That proved to everyone that I was a gangster. Then he made a bullshit lie about how he was being nice to me and I just hit him out of irritation. I grabbed Ichigo and left the room. Then…she slapped me and told me that I shouldn't hit people for no good reason. To make it worst, she didn't know who I was only that my name is my new name. She left and I was by myself so that I could die.**_

_**What I mean by that is that the old me died from being stabbed in the heart and it took me a week before I gained back enough character to create a new one. I learned, thanks to nii-san, that even though it didn't work the first time, it doesn't mean that I should give up. So I've been protecting her from guys she likes and I hang around with her, even though she was annoyed as hell by it. I watched over her and learned everything about her from the three year absents. I still kept where I was living a secret but I told her that I live two blocks away from her. I was keeping up my new character for five years and I was happy because I was able to be close to her and when we were dating, I believe that we both will keep our promise with getting married. And that's my story.**_

_**Oh yeah! That's right! Before I forget, there is something else you should know about me before I say my final goodbye. My old name before I became Kisshu was Dren; Dren Takashiro.**_

_**Goodbye, Tomodachi.**_

_**Forever your friend, Kisshu**_

Ichigo dropped the pages she held when she was finished. Her hands were already shaking from start to finish and now they finally let go of the papers after reading them. One hand covered her mouth and she was trying to hold in the tears that were ready to fall out.

Then Masha cried, "Mew Ichigo! Look! Look!" Ichigo turns around and calms down as Masha is pointing at the files. Masha cries, "Dental records show that Kisshu is Dren! DNA files show the same thing! Adoption papers prove that Pai and Taruto are his family and his new name! Doctor files proves eye infection that changed eye color; from sapphire blue to amber gold! Stopped changing after three years of being infected!"

Ichigo turn to the papers and checked them. As she was checking them, she thinks, _'Oh my god! It's all true. The dental records, the DNA files, the adoption papers, and the doctor files are all proof that Kisshu is really Dren! Pai ripped the last pages out because he knows that I wouldn't just believe it without evidence. Here's the evidence!'_ Ichigo turns away from the papers and the journal pages as she her hands hold her hair in frustration.

"You could've told me, you asshole. But did I hurt you so much that first day that you couldn't, or were you just scared that I forgotten all about you and made this new character so that you could still be in my life?! Then that time you asked me, you just wanted to see if I really did forget about you. But since I didn't, you couldn't just break the news to me. Not after five years! Oh god Kisshu…Dren-kun. I'm so sorry."

"AAAHHHH!!!!"

Ichigo looked from the ground to the window after hearing that. That sounded like a cry of pain from a voice that she knows so well. Then Masha starts going crazy.

"Agent alert! Agent alert!"

Hearing him yell that, Ichigo got cautious. She grabs Masha and throws him in the desk drawer. She tells him, "I'm sorry, Masha but I have to see him." She turns away and goes to the window.

Masha tells her from the drawer, "Don't Mew Ichigo! Don't!" She didn't listen.

She opens the window and jumps out. She lands gracefully on the ground like a cat and runs into the forest, looking for Kish; breaking the barrier that alerts Keiichiro and Zakuro. Kish didn't scream again so it was a little hard to find him. She decides to look all around for him. She does care if by any second he can pounce on her and kill her. She just wants to find her agent. Ichigo looks all through the forest until she hears sobbing noises.

_Sob_

_Sob_

_Sob_

She starts to fallow that and she slows down when she can hear the noise from the other side of one bush and a tree branch. Slowly and carefully, she pushes the bush and the branch aside and she sees Kish on his knees, holding his chest, crying; his red blood tears falling down like a bloody rain.

Ichigo can hear him cry very softly, "Damn it!... Damn those angels!...Tart…nii-san…"

'_Oh Kish…'_ She moves passed the bush and the branch and starts walking towards him.

_Snap_

He quickly looks up at her in surprise from the sound of a twig breaking, and then his surprise gets replace with hatred. She doesn't look frightened at all because now she understands why he's like this. He quickly gets into a pouncing position and faces her.

He asks her in the same wild, harsh voice, "Why are you here, angel? You have a death wish?"

She shakes her head slowly and answers, "I'm not an angel anymore, remember?" She takes a step closer and he growls.

"Stay away!" he orders with a threatening voice. She shakes her head again. He looks confused but still hateful at her answer.

She tells him, "I'm not going to stay away, not anymore." She starts walking towards him and he allows her.

When she's right in front of him, she collapses to her knees to be on the same level as him. Her fingers reach for him and they lightly touch his soft messy hair. Her hands went to both sides of his face and she wipes away his tears with her thumbs. When they left visible stains, she leans closer to him and licks them away just like how she did at the dock. She leans her forehead against his and looks down into his eyes. He looks up at her as she tells him, "I want something. That's why I'm here. But all I want is you, Kish. I just want you to come back, okay?" Then she closes her eyes and leans closer to kiss him. He didn't try to stop her.

"Ichigo! Where are you?!"

Ichigo pulls away from him and looks behind her to where she hears Mint call for her. She turns completely around, not noticing that Kish slightly reached for her. When she didn't look back at him, he got resentful again. She senses danger and turns around to see Kish ready to slice her in half.

"Die," he tells her, ready for the kill.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

Kish looks ahead and jumps away just in time before a pink arrow hit him. He continued to jump back to get away as a flash of blue and purple went passed Ichigo.

Ichigo yells, "Hold on!" But they didn't hear her.

Mew Lettuce and Mew Pudding arrive next to her and Lettuce asks, "Ichigo-san, are you alright?" Both of the girls help her up and Ichigo turns to Lettuce.

She pleads, "Please stop them before they hurt him!" Lettuce and Pudding did not expect that but they both nod.

Lettuce tells her, "We will, okay?"

"We lost ours, na no da. We don't want you to go through that pain, na no da," Pudding tells her. Ichigo weakly smiles at them and nods. "We'll be right back with Kish, na no da." Then they leap out and fly towards the direction Mint and Zakuro went. However, Ichigo didn't stay like how her friends expect her to.

Ichigo starts running after them. They're faster when they're running so she's way behind. All she knows is that they went straight. She jumps over bushes and pushes branches aside. Her legs and arms would get scratched and sometimes her skin would get scrapped but her burning lungs and her aching legs hurt more. Shades of green, brown, and orange were passing by her while she kept going. Like how she was running to Tokyo Tower, she didn't care about that. She just wanted to stop some of her friends before they accidently purify him. He's so close to being human and this time, she's going to turn him back into a human without him getting killed. She lost him once and she's not going to lose him again.

As she kept running, she could hear the faint noise of a fight getting louder and louder. Then she could see an open area coming up further up but when she arrives, she immediately leans on a tree to get some air back in her aching lungs. She can hear the fight from the ground being hit to grunts from the angels. She looks up finally and gasps. She sees her friends and Kish fighting. All four of them were giving it their all because it looks like that Kish is really going to kill them if they're not careful. Revenge, that was all Ichigo could see in his eyes; revenge and his undying hatred.

Kish quickly turns around and he claws Pudding's arm. Ichigo gasps in horror of seeing her friend get hurt as Mint gets her arrow ready and launches it. He jumps away and then charges at her. He quickly appears in front of her and punches her. She goes straight for a tree and snaps it in half from the force.

"Mint!" Ichigo cries. That got his attention and her friends.

He looks at her and she notices a chill feeling. She looks back at the fight scene and Kish is charging at her.

"Wait!" Zakuro yells. She gets her whip ready and cries, "Ribbon Zakuro Spear!!" Her whip grabs his leg and pulls him away before he gets close to Ichigo. She pulls him so hard that he crashes into the ground twenty feet behind her.

"Kish!" Ichigo calls. But seconds later, Kish appears in front of Zakuro and claws her arm when she ducks just in time before he claws her heart out. Ichigo covers her mouth in horror again.

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

Her attack goes straight for Kish but like all the others, he dodges. At least he got away from Zakuro. Bad idea because now he's heading for Ichigo again; seems like she's still his number one target.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!" Mint calls from the fall tree.

A pink arrow shot out and it hit Kish's arm when he least expects it. Ichigo is now paralyzed to the ground she's standing on as he lets out a small noise in pain. When Kish grips his arm in pain, the other angels recruited and circle around.

"Now!" Mint calls. The other three nod and Ichigo gets terribly worried.

They all hold their weapons in between their hands like they're praying and they glow white. Kish looks around him to see them doing this when he notices the white lights. All four angels cry out, "Mew Power Extensions!" As the light gets brighter, chains pop out of the ground and grab his wrists; one for each. After the chains, came a cross from behind. The cross rises up and the chains are connected to it like shackles on a stone wall in the dungeon. He rises up with the cross and he's just hanging there. He starts struggling because the chains are burning his wrists. That was when Ichigo had enough.

Lettuce and Pudding are exhausted as they pant and smile at their success on stopping Kish from going on a killing spree. Then Mint proclaims, gripping her weapon, "Now to end this nonsense." Right when she was about to get an arrow ready and Lettuce and Pudding were going to stop her before she does, Ichigo is already in front of her.

Ichigo is standing in between Mint and Kish and she's glaring at Mint. She tells her, "Don't hurt him. It's not his fault, got it?"

Mint tells her, "Ichigo! He's on a killing spree! If we let him go, he'll kill us all!"

"It's not his fault! It's mine!" All four of her friends gasp at that as Kish is still struggling to get free from the crosses holy energy. Ichigo's arms fall to her side and she turns around towards Kish. "I made him like this."

Lettuce and Pudding understand completely. Lettuce didn't like the idea as she asks Ichigo, "Are you sure, Ichigo-san?"

Ichigo's eyes didn't leave Kish as she nods in reassurance. She starts walking towards Kish and when he saw her getting close, he struggles even more. Getting scared, Mint yells, "Don't get too close to him!"

"Mint onee-chan!" Pudding calls. She looks at her as she says, "Being able to forgive and forget is one thing an angel needs to do, na no da. But having faith is another thing angels need to do, na no da." Mint knows she's right but she's scared for Ichigo as she turns towards the scene to watch. All they can do now is stay and watch.

Ichigo tries to reach for Kish but he growls and hisses at her like a wild animal. Her arms flinch back in surprise but she gains back her courage. Her palms facing him as a sign to reason with him and she tells him, "I'm not going to hurt you, Kish." Her arms reach for the chains and her friends start to panic a bit. "Never again." Then she breaks the chains, releasing him. One second later, he grabs her and holds her; one arm around her and holding her shoulder, the other has his hand on the side of her face. Both Ichigo and her friends knows what's coming next as the cross dissolves since it's no longer holding anything.

After he holds her, he pulls Ichigo's head to one side a bit and then she feels two piercing pains on her neck. He didn't hesitate as he rapidly starts sucking out the sweet, warm strawberry blood from her neck. She lets out a moan of pain from the bite as sweat starts dripping from her head but she bites her tongue to keep the scream in her throat. After the pain, there came pleasure. If memory serves, the feeling of being bitten feels like sex; there's pain but there is pleasure from it. Ichigo tries to breathe as much as she can to endure it as she can feel her living blood leaving her body.

Seeing her like that, Mint was ready to just jump in and save Ichigo now, but she tries to have faith. Everyone is just as anxious as her but they back off. It was a good thing that they did. Weakly, Ichigo lifts her arms up and then hugs Kish. Surprise by the warmth of her arms and the comfort they bring, he stops sucking the blood. She tries her best to smile as she leans on his shoulder.

"Kisshu...I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry I hurt you," she tells him in a weak and gentle voice. His eyes widen from that as a warm feeling starts to fill his chest. His fangs release her neck and he backs away from her skin a bit. He goes in again but he licks the two holes he made. She can feel his tongue against her skin and is surprise he did that. His saliva stops the bleeding from continuing.

This time, he completely wraps his arms around her and holds her tight. She remembers this hold so well and it's been so long since she felt it. She hears him mumble, "I…chi…go…" Happy to finally hear him say, she starts crying a bit and snuggles her face to his chest.

'_Kisshu…No, Dren-kun, I love you,'_ she thinks, feeling safe in his hold.

Then he disappears.

_fssst_

One second he was there, the next Ichigo felt nothing as the wind blew. He's gone but he disappeared in what the others saw as black mist. Ichigo drops her arms and stars at her hands. She just sees nothing as she looks up, still unable to see him. Her voice weakly calls out, "Kisshu…?"

"Ichigo!" Mint calls, running to her. Since it's okay, the others run up to Ichigo. Mint looks at Ichigo's face and asks, "Are you okay?"

Zakuro looks at Ichigo's bite mark and reports, "He stopped the bleeding so she should be okay."

"But we don't know how much blood he took from her," Lettuce notes.

Ichigo suddenly says, "Who cares about that!" Her friends are surprise to hear that as Ichigo runs up a bit and looks around to try and find Kish. She calls, "Kisshu!!"

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"_Kisshu!!"_

When he woke up, that was the first thing he heard. Weakly like he just woke up after being in a comma, he sits up into a crawling state and looks around. He's back in hell.

"_Kisshu!"_

"Ichigo…" he whispers, his head looking to the left and he tries to crawl towards that direction. But something stops him. A hand grabs his forehead and pulls him back. Because he feels so weak, he allows Deep Blue to pull him. He stumbles onto his lap as Deep Blue holds him.

"Shhh, shh, it's okay Kish. It's okay. I'm here. There's nothing there," he tells him.

Kish tries to get up as he says, "But I can hear her…"

Deep Blue pulls him back as he tells him, "That is an illusion too. You don't hear her because why would she call for you besides send you straight for your death; just like how her friends did to your brothers?" His hands glow blue and he says, "You don't hear her, see her, or feel her. Because she's not there. She's not there, Kish."

Kish doesn't move away from him. His red eyes turn dull and empty as he nods and says, "…Yes…"

"That's a good boy." Then Deep Blue pulls Kish's head back and presses his lips on top of his. Kish just stayed there, his eyes dull and empty.

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"Kisshu!"

"Ichigo onee-chan! Calm down, na no da!" Pudding tells her, grabbing her arm.

Ichigo looks down at her and then up at Mint when she grabs her other arm. "We'll see him again, okay? This isn't the first time he was close, right? So when we see him again, you'll get him." That calms her down a bit as Zakuro approaches the ground with Lettuce.

Zakuro tells her, "For now, we'll wait."

"Mew Ichigo! Mew Ichigo!"

All five look up and they see Masha flying towards them. Ichigo got an idea and when Masha was close enough, she grabs him and starts shaking him, "Ryou! I know you can hear me!"

Her friends sweat drop and thought she went crazy. They were going to tell her that Masha is not Ryou but from Masha, they hear, _'Shoots, we're caught.'_

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," Ichigo sarcastically answers. "You're at the basement right now aren't you?"

'_Good guess.'_

"Ryou!"

Then Keiichiro answers, _'We're here, Ichigo-san.'_

"Can you two do a quick analyzes on any agent activity in the area?"

Ryou asks, _'Why? If Kish disappeared right before your eyes, then no doubt he's in hell right now.'_

"So you were watching?" Ichigo asks, ready to smash Masha.

Masha cries, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

Ichigo loosens her hold and says, "Sorry Masha."

Keiichiro tells her, _'There's nothing so far. Hold on! Something's happening! Something big and you all are right on top of it!'_

By the time the angels heard that and look around for anything suspicious, the ground starts to shake. Because it was unexpected, all of the angels fall to the ground and lay there. The ground shook so much that it creates a crack in the ground. The crack doesn't go under the angels, thank goodness but it did let a few trees fall in. Then it just stops. The angels wait, for anything else to happen. Then at the last minute, white balls fly out from the crack and the angels hear pain filled screams. The screams were so loud and painful that the angels had to try and cover their ears to save them. The screams, however were so bad that Masha was shaking and then he exploded. After him came glass, streetlights, and trees explode from the screams.

"Masha!" Ichigo tried to call, but it was muffled by the screams. She just watches as Masha's remains fall to the ground.

"_**Hello angels."**_

All of the angels gasp at that voice. They remember that voice from before. It tried to make Mint lose faith in Zakuro, it made Zakuro lose patients in her comrades, it tried to make Lettuce hate Pai, it tried to make Pudding hate Taruto, and it made Ichigo hate Kisshu. Just from hearing his voice again, Ichigo knew who it is.

She tries to scream, "Deep Blue!!" But not even the angels can hear her.

After she screams, the white balls forms together and the screams stop. They hear Deep Blue says, _**"I'm sorry, but I couldn't quite hear that Mew Ichigo. The souls can be very noise."**_

Lettuce mumbles, shaken by what happened, "S-Souls?"

He answers, _**"Yes. All five hundred of them and a little extra thanks to my servants."**_

Zakuro asks, "They were collecting souls? For what purpose?"

"_**All in order to release me from hell."**_

Mint asks, "You made Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto kill people all in order so that you can be revived?"

"_**You can say that."**_

Remembering Kisshu, Ichigo asks, "Where's Kisshu?! What have you done to him?"

"_**Why not see for yourself? You five will be the witnesses for my revival. Kish?"**_

Then right under the huge balls of combined souls, a black orb appears and reveals Kish. He doesn't look angry or hateful. He almost looks like a dead person with the lifeless eyes he has now. The angels got up as Kish's hand goes to his mouth like he's trying to cover something. Then as his hands move away from his mouth, he looks like he's holding something. What came out was a red liquid ball; it looks and moves like liquid but it have a form. The ball liquid looks huge as he lifts his hand and the liquid rises up to the crowded souls. The souls are flying at full speed in circles and when the liquid rises up to them, the balls turn red and there was one more loud shrieking scream. The angels again hold their ears again from the pain filled scream and the angels start crying for the poor unfortunate souls. Then the screaming stops when the souls just disappear and the only thing in the air is a medium size bright glowing red ball. As the angels drop their hands, Ichigo hears a different voice; even different from her angel self one.

"**Stop him! If that ball touches his skin then Kisshu will be sacrifice! Deep Blue needs five hundred human souls, blood of an angel, and a living sacrifice to come back. Stop him before it's too late!"**

As Ichigo hears that voice shout in her head, she sees the red ball starting to glide down to Kish. His hands are reaching for the ball.

"Kisshu!!" Ichigo calls, running towards him. The angels watch her zoom pass them and to him. But when she was only twenty feet away from him, she was blocked by a barrier of some kind. She falls to the ground and scrapes her arm. Kish's hand twitches a bit from the smell of the blood, but he's still reaching for the ball.

Her friends get worried for their friend but Ichigo pushes herself up and looks up at Kish. The ball is so close now. Only a little more and Ichigo doesn't have enough time. She screams, "DREN-KUN, STOP IT!!!!" Kish's eyes widen completely with some life back in them. Her friends stare at her surprise as she's panting from screaming at the top of her lungs. Kish drops his arms and turns his head to look at her surprise.

'_I got him,'_ Ichigo thinks in relief. She pushes herself up in a standing position and looks directly at him. She's waiting for him to say anything but he says nothing.

So she decides to finish her confess. "I know everything! Kisshu, you're Dren-kun right? After your parents died, you ended up getting adopted by drinkers and ran away. You were trying to get to Tokyo but ended up in Hiroshima, right? You did everything you could to survive so that you come back but after a gang mobbed you when you were starving, Taruto and Pai found you. Your eyes got infected and were changing color. Pai and Taruto became your new family and you came back to Tokyo. Then after three years we finally met but because your eye color changed, I couldn't recognize. What you meant about killing Dren-kun was that you were heartbroken. You 'killed' Dren-kun by hiding him away with a new character, Kisshu. When you asked me that one time if I ever loved someone before and I told you about Dren-kun, you couldn't just tell me who you were right there, could you. But let me tell you something! Dren-kun, Kisshu, or Kish; I don't care! It doesn't change the fact that I love you. I love you so much since the day you moved next to my house, since the day I met you at school, and since the day you stole my first kiss in front of the café." Tears start leaking out of her eyes as she finishes, "I love you so please stop." She covers her face with her hands and tries to wipe away her tears but they are endless and all anyone can do now is watch. Kish even continues to stare at her for a little bit longer.

Kish eyes went to her neck and she's still wearing the collar he gave her. They took one look at the neck before his eyes went back to amber gold. He turns his body to her and calls, "Koneko-chan?"

Ichigo's eyes and head snap up and she saw him looking at her with eyes she's waited a long time to see. She breathes out sighs of relief as she smiles at him and nods. She wipes her tears away and says, "Hi, Dren-kun." He smiles a bit and takes a step forward but another earthquake appears.

Because it was sudden, everyone stumble from it but Kisshu, or Dren was the one who took steps back. The red ball appears from the side of his head and by the time he looks to the side to see it, it already touched his shoulder. Ichigo sees that and a red light shines from the ball, engulfing him.

"Dren-kun!!" she screams. Then there was a scream.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!!!" It's Dren's.

The light got bigger and bigger until it became too bright for the angels to see. They cover their eyes and they can feel strong wind currents pushing against them. Over time, the wind dies and so does the light. Instantly, Ichigo drops her arms to look and the first thing she sees is a different person.

This person standing where Dren was has a blue robe on with long blue sleeves. He looks like he has pale white skin, like he never ever saw the light of the sun before in his life. He has long black shadows hair that barely touches the ground. He has big elf like ears like the agents and he has long sharp nails. When he opens his eyes, Ichigo can clearly see that they are piercing light blue that could just stab you by looking at them. He opens his mouth slightly and she can see long sharp white fangs sticking out. This isn't an agent. This is the devil himself.

The angels drop their arms to see the exact thing Ichigo is seeing right now. The devil closes his eyes again and opens them with a devilish smile to say, "My name is Deep Blue. I am the ruler of hell." The angels stare at him with pure fear and Ichigo is staring at him with shock eyes. He looks around and sees the damage so far. He says, "It's so quiet. Must be because of all the humans that died for my release. I must say though, it feels good to take in the fresh air besides the stuffy air down there. You angels have no idea."

Being reminded of the humans dying, Zakuro and Mint got angry. Mint prepares an arrow and yells, "Ribbon Mint Echo!!"

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!"

The attacks go straight to him but he only widens his smile and he raises one arm. His palm facing them and the attacks dissolve right before him. Mint and Zakuro gasp in surprise and Mint takes a step back.

"You're fear and your anger is so delicious and energizing. I can already feel them charging my powers." No one says anything. "What's wrong? Too scared?"

Ichigo closes her mouth and gulps. She has to say something and only one thing comes to mind. "Angela." Deep Blue's eyes widen for a moment and he turns towards Ichigo. She asks, "Do you remember that name?"

His eyes harden as he tells her, "Don't try and force me into talking, angel. That name means nothing to me." He raises his arm up again and tells them, "Your bodies are too fragile here. How about we go to a place where bodies do not exist." After that, a bright blue light shines from his palm and that was the last thing the angels saw before they all pass out.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Keiichiro! We have to hurry! The signal's been lost for a while now!"

"Yes, my prince."

When they lost Masha's signal, Ryou and Keiichiro immediately ran out of the town and during their run, they transform into their elite angel forms and started flying to the area where they last saw the signal. The signal was lost father from the cafe than what Ichigo expected. They were at least five miles away from the café. That's half the amount of miles Ichigo ran when she was running at full speed to Tokyo Tower. Because it was in the forests, they had to fly over the trees in order to get there. Most of the humans are either dead or moved out of Tokyo so they didn't worry about anyone seeing them. They didn't care at the moment anyhow.

Then they saw a clearing with four semi-bright lights and a crack in the ground. That was the place. They land on the ground and the first person that Keiichiro goes to is Zakuro. He picks her up bridal style and looks at her. She looks like she's sleeping, or worst. Ryou took a while before he goes to anyone. Everyone is just lying on the ground with a peaceful expression on their face like they are in a peaceful sleep.

Keiichiro hovers a hand over Zakuro's head and then her body and back up. His hand was glowing in the processing and when it went back to her head, he gasps at the result. Keiichiro calls, "Ryou-sama!" Ryou turns to him, hoping to hear good news but by Keiichiro's face, it's not. "Ryou-sama…their souls…Their souls are no longer in their bodies!"


	35. The Darkness and the Light

**A/N: Yo, everyone! Just two more chapters and this story should be over! But I am thinking about a sequel. I don't know. Maybe I'm just still thinking about what's going to happen after 'The End' but the story is already too long. Oh well! Maybe… Sorry that it's a little long, though. But hey, it's close to the end.**

**Kuro: Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!! **

_There's darkness in the light and light in the darkness. Fallowing a clue like this is dangerous but not fallowing it is deadly, right?_

Ch. 35: The Darkness and the Light

When Ichigo woke up, everyone woke up as well. All they saw was white. They couldn't see a floor, a wall, a road, or anything. It was just a white abyss and four colors that the angels are wearing. When they woke up, there was no pain. No aching muscles from lying down, no weak legs as they stood up, and no pain from that light that Deep Blue shined before. They figured that it was a blast but they don't know what to think now. They don't even know where they are.

Pudding was the first to speak in this silent white abyss, "Where are we, na no da?"

No one could answer because they didn't know. Then when Mint's eyes went to Ichigo she gasps. "Ichigo! Look at yourself!" The girls look at her as well and they are just as shocked as Mint. Ichigo looks down and is amazed. She's her angel self again; the same pink dress, her heels, her collar, her arm bands, her halo, and her wings. They're all back!

Ichigo looks at her arms, her outfit, touches her halo, and flaps her wings. She asks, "But how?!"

Lettuce saw something from the corner of her eyes and turns towards it to see. Her heart starts racing and terror decorates her face. She yells, "Everyone! Look!" They did and they started getting cautious of that as well.

Unlike the white abyss that they are standing in, what they see before them is what looks like a giant cloud made of a thick black mist. Just looking at it is gave the angels a bad feeling. The mist gives off an ominous aura and it keeps moving. It's not moving anywhere, it's just moving like how a plant moves when the wind blows.

Then they hear, "Welcome angels to the border between heaven and hell." The voice sounds like it's coming from the cloud so the angels look deep into the mist, only to see Deep Blue with his devilish smile. "Or like how you humans call it, the border between the pure and the damned." If he places one foot forward, he can get out of that mist and into the white. But if what he says is true, then he can't step foot in heaven.

Mint looks surprise as she looks around and asks, "This is heaven? It's not at all like how I would imagine."

Zakuro explains, "This is the border land, Mint. If we go deeper into this light, then we will see the true heaven."

"And if you go deeper into the darkness, you will see the true hell," Deep Blue finishes, "But if you five are desperate to do that, then you will never return to your bodies."

"So that's why I'm in my angel form," Ichigo breathes out. She looks at her hands and her light pink glow and mumbles, "Even though I've lost my purity, I'm still an angel so I can be in my angel form here." Then remembering how she lost her purity, Kisshu flashes in her mind. "Deep Blue, answer me this! If what you say is true that we are at the border land, then that means that the souls come here after they die. Where's Dren-kun and his family?!" Lettuce and Pudding gasp at that.

Deep Blue's smiles even wider as he closes his hands and separates them. In between them are three small glowing white cylinders. He asks, "You mean these? You should fortunate that I didn't use them for my release." Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding just knew it was them.

Pudding yells, "Give them back, na no da! They don't deserve to be there with you, na no da."

Deep Blue asks, "Didn't your prince tell you anything about humans that choose the path of an agent." All five girls had their eyes widen in shock and terror from that reminder. They remember perfectly what Ryou told them, or what Keiichiro told them.

"_**I heard that if an agent just dies, not by purification, they are bound to wander the borderland between the living and death for all eternity."**_

Those boys didn't die from purification. Taruto was smashed, Pai was destroyed, and Kisshu was sacrificed in order to unleash the devil.

Deep Blue tells them, "Now they are mine, forever."

"No!" Ichigo screams. "They don't deserve this! None of them do!"

Pudding agrees, "Ichigo onee-chan is right, na no da! Taru-Taru never done anything wrong and even when he did, he did his best to make me forgive him!"

Lettuce tells him, "Pai-sensei is a good person! What you say he deserves is complete rubbish!"

"All you did was deceived their hearts to making them think that love is nothing more than a new form of torture! Now return them immediately!" Ichigo commands, sticking her hand out, waiting for Deep Blue to give them to her. But Deep Blue just looks at her, his smile wipe off clean from his face.

"But love is torture," he tells them. Ichigo raises a brow as he tells them, "All love does is tear out your heart and smashes it. What love did to these boys is no different. Here, let me show you." He holds the three souls in one hand and his other has its palm facing the three angels and in one second, the angels saw and felt everything.

The pain from life, the pain the girls gave them from the misunderstandings, and the worst pain of all; their deaths. Pudding saw the huge boulders fall on Taruto and smashed everything. She can feel the huge rocks falling on her body, smashing her bones, and squirting out her living blood. Lettuce saw how his death happened. Because of the two attacks, his whole body dissolved into nothing and she can feel the same thing. She can feel the hot temperature and the electronic energy from the two attacks. She can feel every inch of her body dissolving and turning to dust. Ichigo saw Dren's shock expression and his expression when he could feel his soul being forced out of his body. Then while his soul was still half way in, he felt the flames of hell burn his body like a witch and her execution from the medieval times. The flames were hotter than any fire that humans created and they brought pain and torture to the unfortunate victim. Ichigo can feel those flames now and they're burning the flesh right off the bones as she can feel them melting away like candles. She can feel what he did but what happened was that the flames were changing his body so that it could look like Deep Blue's. His changed body became his and his soul entered after Dren's soul was finally freed from his burning, changing body. Even though the girls can feel this, doesn't mean that it's happening to them now. They're just feeling the pain without anything really happening to them.

They held their heads from the pain and the memories and they scream. Their voices louder than anything Mint and Zakuro heard and all of them fall to their knees. Their screams died down but sweat pours out from their bodies and terror just struck a very big ax on their hearts. Seeing the results, Deep Blue puts on a small smile in satisfaction.

"Ichigo!" Mint calls, rushing to her side. Since Pudding and Lettuce as so close together, Zakuro runs to their side.

When they kneeled down to look at them, they are beyond shock to see them like that. Pudding is leaning over with her palms on the ground, or whatever is solid under them, Lettuce is still grasping her head from the sight, and Ichigo is holding her chest from both the physical pain and the mental pain she can feel in her chest. That was like having every pain they ever felt in their life just pounded on them at once. There was no way a human could handle all of that at once. If Ichigo had ever got the chance to see Dren's memories, she would be in worst condition then she is now.

"Now you see?" Deep Blue asks them. Mint and Zakuro look up at him as he says, "You angels believe that love is a beautiful, wonderful thing when all it does is cause pain. You three are the cause of their pain. If they never met you, none of this would've happened." He looks down at the souls and says, "Come, my agents. Let's finish this once and for all."

All three angels look up as he throws the souls deep into the darkness. But as they were flying in the darkness, the souls started to gain forms; their agent forms. Ichigo saw Kish, Lettuce saw Sardon, and Pudding saw Taruto but they look like they have their human hearts and they're asleep. Then they disappear into the darkness. Deep Blue tells them, "I brought you here for a reason. So that I can watch you all suffer until even your souls are no more!" He takes a step forward and is now completely out of the darkness. The frightening part is that he doesn't look like he's in pain as they can see some static of electricity from the repellence of pure and tainted.

Mint mumbles, "No way…"

"Way," he answers. He quickly sends a blast at them and Mint grabs Ichigo to get away. Zakuro does the same for Lettuce and Pudding.

Mint calls, "Ichigo! Snap out of it! He's only trying to make you weak, remember?" But it seems like that Ichigo is thousands of miles away. It was the same thing with Lettuce and Pudding.

Then from what Mint and Zakuro can hear, they hear music starting. Unlike the previous ones, this one sounds soft until Deep Blue starts singing the first part.

_Black Dahlia__ by Hollywood Undead_

_I loved you, you made me, hate me.  
You gave me, hate, see?.  
It saved me and these tears are deadly.  
You feel that?  
I rip back, every time you tried to steal that.  
You feel bad? you feel sad?  
I'm sorry, hell no fuck that!  
It was my heart, it was my life, it was my start, it was your knife.  
This strife it dies, this life and these lies.  
And these lungs have sung this song for too long, and its true I hurt too, remember I loved you!_

Deep Blue continues to try and blast the angels, but Mint and Zakuro are having a hard time because of the weight they're carrying and by the music. The music is draining their energy away, but they still had enough to dodge the blasts. As Deep Blue continues to throw blasts at them, there was a change in voices. The chorus is sung by Kish, Sardon, and Tart and the space out angels can hear that.__

I've , Lost it all, fell today, It's all the same  
I'm sorry oh  
I'm sorry no  
I've , been abused, I feel so used, because of you  
I'm sorry oh  
I'm sorry no 

Understanding the words made the pain in their chests ache even more. They wanted to cry so bad but it's as if they can't. Deep Blue starts singing again.__

I wish I could I could have quit you.  
I wish I never missed you,  
And told you that I loved you, every time I fucked you.  
The future that we both drew, and all the shit we've been through.  
Obsessed with the thought of you, the pain just grew and grew!  
How could you do this to me?  
Look at what I made for you, it never was enough and the world is what I gave to you.  
I used to be love struck; now I'm just fucked up.  
Pull up my sleeves and see the pattern of my cuts!

Mint and Zakuro are out of breath now as the agents sing again and this time, Deep Blue doesn't sing the others.

_I've , Lost it all, fell today, It's all the same  
I'm sorry oh  
I'm sorry no  
I've , been abused, I feel so used, because of you  
I'm sorry oh  
I'm sorry no_

Seems like all we had is over now you left to rest.  
And your tears are dried up now, you just lay without a sound.  
Seems like all we had is over now, you left to rest.  
And my fears are over now, I can leave with my head down.

I've , Lost it all, fell today, It's all the same  
I'm sorry oh  
I'm sorry no  
I've , been abused, I feel so used, because of you  
I'm sorry oh  
I'm sorry no

Deep Blue sends one more blast to each of the flying angels and they couldn't dodge it. They both got hit and they fall to the ground with the angels they were holding. Mint and Zakuro are panting as the others just look dead now. Deep Blue relaxes his hands and smile in victory. He tells them, "It's over angels. Heaven had its victory but now it's my turn to take the victory! The darkness always comes after the light."

'_Darkness…light…'_ Ichigo's mind wonders. Those two words were used in the same sentence before. But from where?

'_**Light in the darkness, darkness in the light.'**_

Ichigo's eyes shot wide open from that memory. She looks up towards the darkness and waits. Right now, Deep Blue, the darkness, is in heaven, the light. So that means that the light in the darkness is…

Ichigo couldn't help but mumble, "Kish…Kisshu…Dren-kun…are you there?" Her voice is so soft and so low that not even Deep Blue could hear him. But everyone did hear music starting again. Deep Blue looks over his shoulders, a bit surprise as the music continues. Then they can hear Kish singing.

_I Hate Everything About You__ by Three Day Grace_

_Every time we lie awake  
After every hit we take  
Every feeling that I get  
But I haven't missed you yet_

Every roommate kept awake  
By every sigh and scream we make  
All the feelings that I get  
But I still don't miss you yet

Only when I stop to think about it

_**Kish, Sardon, and Tart**___

I hate everything about you  
Why do I love you  
I hate everything about you  
Why do I love you

That was enough to bring Lettuce, Pudding, and Ichigo back to life and it made Deep Blue angry.__

_**Kish**_

_Every time we lie awake  
After every hit we take  
Every feeling that I get  
But I haven't missed you yet_

Only when I stop to think about it

_**Kish, Sardon, and Tart**_

_I hate everything about you  
Why do I love you  
I hate everything about you  
Why do I love you_

Only when I stop to think  
About you, I know  
Only when you stop to think  
About me, do you know

I hate everything about you  
Why do I love you  
You hate everything all about me  
Why do you love me

I hate  
You hate  
I hate  
You love me

I hate everything about you  
Why do I love you

Deep Blue grows and raises his arm up again. He hisses, "Impudent wenches." Then blue electricity shot out from his hands and they head for the darkness.

"AAAAAHHHH!!!!!" the girls heard the agents cry.

'_Dren-kun!'_ Ichigo calls in her mind, getting up as fast as she can.

'_Pai-sensei!'_

'_Taru-Taru!'_

Lettuce and Pudding do the same thing and all three of them start running. Deep Blue didn't hear them that when he drops his arm, the three just ran right pass him and into the darkness.

He whispers, "Wait!"

He was going to stop them with a blast but a purple bright whip grabs him. He turns around and he sees Zakuro up and Mint coming up. The three angels in the darkness stop and look behind to see them.

Mint yells, "Save them first! Go!"

They nod and start running further into the darkness. But just like Deep Blue when he stepped into the light, they were feeling the repellence energy of the tainted energy on the pure. Even Ichigo is feeling it, but their feelings to find their love ones, they ignored it as best as they can.

The darkness, like the white abyss, seemed endless. There are no grounds they can see, there are no walls to stop them from crashing into, and they can't tell if they're going straight, up, down, or sideways. It seemed endless. Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding tried taking turns on going left or right but there is nothing. If they go any father, they might end up in hell but looking for the guys seemed more important than that. But how can they find something they have no clue on where they are in this thick mist of darkness. They can hardly see each other who are only three feet away from the other.

They stopped for a bit to rest. They felt like they've been running around for hours and have gotten nowhere. They lean on their knees and start pant, hard. Sweat's pouring down their faces like waterfalls and their legs could give out any minute now. Mint and Zakuro might be in serious trouble considering they are both fighting the lord of hell by themselves but it's too late to go back now. They've come so far but it looks like they have made no progress than being lost in total darkness. Then Ichigo got enough.

"Dren-kun! Kisshu! Kish! You there?!!" she yells.

Lettuce stands up straighter and calls, "Pai-sensei, where are you?!!!"

"Taru-Taru!" Pudding howls.

Then all at once, they scream at the top of their lungs, "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!!!!"

Their voices echo throughout the darkness as they are panting again for using nearly every ounce of breath in their screams. There was nothing and with getting nothing, the girls start thinking that it's hopeless. Deep Blue did say that he was going to destroy the angel's souls but he probably destroyed the agent's souls too.

Ichigo collapses to her knees and faces her head down to the ground in shame. "Damn it!" she whimpers. She sounds like she's close to tears when she leans even lower to the ground. Lettuce and Pudding looking the other way, not wanting to believe what Ichigo is already believing. Then hope came through the sound of a guitar playing. Then they can hear the bass, the drums, and the voice; Kish's voice.

_Falling Inside the Black__ by Skillet_

_Tonight I'm so alone  
This sorrow takes ahold  
Don't leave me here so cold  
(Never want to be so cold)_

Ichigo stands up as all three of them stare at where they can hear it. Then Ichigo had that feeling again; like she has to sing soon. _(When it comes up, it's __**bold and italics**__.)_

Your touch used to be so kind  
Your touch used to give me life  
I've waited all this time, I've wasted so much time

Don't leave me alone  
Cause I barely see at all  
Don't leave me alone, I'm

Falling in the black  
Slipping through the cracks  
Falling to the depths can I ever go back  
Dreaming of the way it used to be  
_**Can you hear me**_

Lettuce and Pudding stare at Ichigo surprise as she starts running towards the music. Lettuce and Pudding didn't bother to think about it.__

Falling in the black  
Slipping through the cracks  
Falling to the depths can I ever go back  
Falling inside the black  
Falling inside falling inside the black

You were my source of strength  
I've traded everything  
That I love for this one thing  
(Stranded in the offering)

Don't leave me here like this  
Can't hear me scream from the abyss  
And now i wish for you my desire

Don't leave me alone  
Cause I barely see at all  
Don't leave me alone, I'm

Falling in the black  
Slipping through the cracks  
Falling to the depths can I ever go back  
Dreaming of the way it used to be  
_**Can you hear me**__  
Falling in the black  
Slipping through the cracks  
Falling to the depths can I ever go back  
Falling inside the black  
Falling inside falling inside the black  
Black, black, black_

In the light, Deep Blue can hear them as the angels in the darkness still ran towards the music. Now they're getting somewhere. They took turns and they didn't stop running.__

Falling in the black...  
Slipping through the cracks...

Falling in the black  
Slipping through the cracks  
Falling to the depths can I ever go back  
Dreaming of the way it used to be  
_**Can you hear me**__  
Falling in the black  
Slipping through the cracks  
Falling to the depths can I ever go back  
Falling inside the black  
__**Can you hear me?**__  
Falling inside the black  
__**Can you hear me?**__  
Falling inside the black  
__**Can you hear me?**_

As the angels are running closer and closer to where the guys are, they can start to see figures in the darkness. Their faces start to brighten as they run closer and closer towards them. Deep Blue turns towards the darkness and readies his hand._**  
**__  
Falling inside  
Falling inside, falling inside the black_

When the song was over, Deep Blue shoots blue electricity as the girls finally reach them. They are in their agent form and they have their instruments from before they broke them. The thing that made them smile was that they look like they have their human hearts, but the electricity is faster than them. The electricity hits the guys and they start screaming again.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

The girls gasp from that as they stay away and watch them get shock. After a bit, the electricity stops and Kish is the first to fall forward from the shock. Ichigo gasps and calls, "Kish!" as she's running to his side. Then Sardon and Tart start to fall and Lettuce and Pudding didn't waste time rushing to their sides.

Deep Blue whispers, "Pathetic. They are of no further use to me." Then his attention goes back to the angels he's fighting as Mint shoots her arrow.

Pudding catches Tart by hugging him from behind. For one moment, it felt nice to hold him. She never thought she would hold him again but there are worst problems now than not being able to hold the one you love ever again. She calls quietly, "Taru-Taru?" He doesn't answer. In fact, he feels limp in her hold. When she moves him only a little, she can hear his drum sticks making the cling noise from falling on something solid. She pulls him back and holds him with one arm on his shoulders and the other hand moving some of his strands of hair to the side so that she can look at him. Then her hand goes to the side of his face and lifts it up a bit so that she can look at his face more. Her soft, warm hand gently touching his cold skin feels nice to her. The softness of his hair when she touch it, she misses it. She thought she lost him and now here he is in front of her and she might lose him for real this time.

She pleads, tears already starting to leak from her eyes, "Please, Taru-Taru. Get up, na no da. Please, na no da!" She bends down to his ear and says, "I will always love you no matter what so please, get up, na no da." When she moves away from his ear to stare at his face, he looks like he's coming too. Her eyes widen and brighten with hope. His eyes open a bit and then they flutter open. He looks up at her and blinks before he realizes what he's seeing.

"Pudding…san?" he asks, in a voice that she missed so much.

She's so happy to see him awake that she kisses him without hesitation. His eyes widen from the sudden kiss but her lips feel so right and so warm against his, he had to kiss her back. It only took him a second before he kisses her back. When they broke the kiss, Pudding rejoices in a small, for once, happy voice, "You're back, na no da! I missed you so much, na no da!"

He smiles at her and says, "I missed you too. You have no idea how dark the borderland was."

"I think I get the picture, na no da." He chuckles and pulls her into his arms. She instantly relaxes in them as the drums in front of them disappear into the air.

During that time when Sardon fell to his knees, he was going to fall forward but Lettuce became able to kneel in front of him and stop his fall. She calls, softly, "Pai-sensei! Pai-sensei! Can you hear me?" She lets his head lean on her shoulders as she looks down at his face. His eyes closed and his pale skin dirtied from the shock. He feels so cold on her shoulder. Her gentle hands brush against his skin to feel how soft they are to her. Then she wraps her arms around him completely. The touch of his skin, the smell of his hair, and the feel of his body; she almost lost it all and this time, she could.

"'_Love is a many splendid thing. Love lifts us up. All you need it love!'_ That was another line from another favorite book I read a long time ago. When the talented writer told the prostitute that living a life without love is terrible. I understand that now, because I thought I had to end up living my life without you. My love for you is deeper than the deep blue sea, so please come back to me." All she did now is waiting and she got an answer in a matter of moments. His arms move and he hugs her close to him, never wanting to let go.

Then she hears, "I die and I wake up hugging an angel. This curse soul is blessed." She smiles as tears are rolling down her face. Her arms wrap around him tighter to get close and he does the same. They're noting crushing each other, but not even a single speck of mist can go through their hold.

When it was enough, Lettuce looks at her prince's face and he's smiling at her. She tells him, "I was so worried."

His hands go to the side of her face and he starts wiping away her tears. "No need to worry, Lettuce-san. I'm right here and I love you so much."

"Thank goodness." Then they kiss, quick and hard but it's nothing more than a simple kiss. The guitar on Pai dissolves away just likes Taruto's drums. However, Lettuce and Pudding got it easy.

Ichigo ran to Kish's side and she lifts him up like a dying man. He could be dying, but Ichigo didn't want to think like that right now. She shakes him and asks, "Kish? Can you hear me? Kisshu? Dren-kun?!" She got no answer. He just limps there in her arms. "Oh for god's sake! Just answer to one of the names, please! I need you, right here with me because I'm so lost without you. Please…" She lifts him up close so that she could hold him. An arm around his back and a hand on the back of his head to lift him up. The touch of his hair between her fingers, the smell of him when her face is close to his head, and touching him feels so wonderful. If Juliet there has a dagger, she would probably stab herself to finish the scene.

_Twitch_

Ichigo sits up straight and looks at his face. He slowly opens his eyes and she smiles. "Kish?" He looks up at her but unlike how Taruto or Pai greet the girls, he just lifts himself up. She's confuse as she looks at his eyes. They look like how they were when he was performing the spell before she tried to stop him; empty and dull. When he sits up, he pulls his guitar in front of him and starts playing.

Taruto and Pudding separate a bit to see him playing as Pai and Lettuce broke the kiss to see that as well. They also see Ichigo going in front of him and asks, "Kish? Why are you ignoring me? I'm right here. Can't you see me at all?!" She waits for an answer but she didn't get any. He continues to play as if she's not there and she looks hurt by that answer.

Pudding whispers, softly, "What's going on, na no da? Why isn't he looking at her, na no da?"

Taruto answers, just as quiet, "Probably because his soul was forced out of his body when it was changing."

Lettuce is confused by that because she's positive that she saw Pai die when he was Sardon. But as if he can read her thoughts, Pai explains softly, "While Taruto and I died by being crushed to death or dissolving, Kisshu's soul was forced out of his body while it was changing. The pain from his changing body must have created a shock that is causing him to block out his heart."

Ichigo heard little bit of that, but she didn't give up yet for her lover. She just has to go and unblock his heart. What she does to do that is go in front of him and grab both of his hands of his guitar. She tells him, in a firm strong voice, "Kish, I know you can hear me so please look at me right here, right now!" He doesn't look up. Instead, she can feel him trying to pull his hands back so that he can continue playing. Her face crunches up a bit but still grasping his hands, she bends down to his face and kisses him. She kisses him for a good minute and even though he didn't kiss her back, she didn't mind because kissing him again after watching him die is heaven in this hell hole. She breaks the kiss and keeps her eyes close as she leans his forehead on his. Then she softly starts to sing, very carefully so that he can hear her.

_Would you mind if I hurt you?  
Understand that I need to  
Wish I had other choices  
Than to harm the one I love_

She looks into his eyes and he gasps. His eyes gain back life as she's looking at him with hope while he's panting like he just ran. He looks at Ichigo and asks, "What've you done now?" He gives her a half smile as she smiles in happiness.

"Dren-kun!" She hugs him, knocking him down. Being considerate, the others turn around; they also did that just in case things go far. But they are happy that he's finally awake now.

Dren laughs a bit as he hugs her back and asks, "Make up your mind already! You going to call me by my old name, my current name, or my agent name?"

She's lying on his chest as she lifts herself up a bit to look at his face. She tells him, "It doesn't matter to me because it doesn't change my feelings."

Still smiling he asks, "And these feelings are…?"

She rolls her eyes, playfully as she answers, "I love you, no matter who you are. I love you, always have and always will."

He lifts his head up closer to her as he tells her, "I love you too."

"I know."

Then they kiss, closing the space between them. Besides the kiss that Ichigo gave him before he woke up, they haven't kiss since the day he was nearly back. That was at least two visits ago. But even though it was better than nothing, nothing could match up to the one they're having now. It's similar to their first kiss but this one is more fun and more tempting. After kissing their lips, they started kissing each other's faces and went back to the lips. Her hands still on his shoulders as his are tangle in her soft neon pink hair. One of his hands is behind her ear and he scratches it. She purrs softly from the feeling as their lips part for a moment of breath. Then she licks his lips for entrance and he opens up a bit so that her tongue can enter and explore. His does the same and about thirty seconds later, they hear a cough.

They stop and look up to see their friends and brothers' back to them, to respect their privacy. Then Pai says, "Thank you for stopping. Can we turn around now?"

Ichigo and Kisshu get up and he answers, "You may."

They turn around and Pai reminds, "The angels can't stay in here much longer. This is the borderland to hell, remember." The angels are confused by that considering that they haven't felt anything. That is, until he reminds everyone. They were so desperate to look for them and when they were playing, they were so excited to get here.

Then Taruto reminds, "Also, this is a place where souls pass after they die. The girls didn't die."

"And they will unless we return them to the land of the living," Pai finishes.

Ichigo looks at Kish and asks, "Well, you guys are coming with us right?" Lettuce and Pudding look at their guys in a hopeful way. The guys look at their guys and look at them in an almost sad kind of way, but Kish is sweetly smiling at Ichigo.

One finger gently brushes her cheek as he reminds her, "We died, Ichigo."

Taruto uses his hand to push back Pudding's hair and tell her, "And we died after choosing to fallow the devil. We are to stay here and to wonder the borderland, forever; never going to heaven and never returning to hell."

Pai grasps Lettuce's hand and says, "But the last thing we can do is return you and your friends back to your bodies. There you can put an end to this war. Only you angels can stop Deep Blue." In other words, this is goodbye. Tears burn the girls' eyes as they hug the guys.

Pudding cries, "No, na no da! I don't want this to be goodbye, na no da. I don't want to live without you, na no da." They had to hug them back to try and comfort them, but it didn't stop their tears.

"I'll be lonely again and you will be lonely here too, Pai-sensei!" Lettuce reminds him, her voice crack from crying.

Ichigo tells Kish, "If I can't have you in the living, I'll commit suicide and stay here with you forever! If angels commit suicide, then they won't go to heaven or hell! They can wonder the borderlands too! I want to be with you so I'll-"

"Don't talk like that!" Kish interrupts. "What makes you think that after we return you all to the living, we want you to end your life?" Ichigo pulls away and stars at his eyes surprised; he's serious.

Pai rubs Lettuce's back as another way to comfort her and he tells her, "You won't be lonely. You have your friends and I have my brothers to keep me company."

Taruto tries to smile as he tells her, "You want to know something? They say that souls can appear in dreams so this won't be goodbye. I'll come by every night in your dreams, rather it's a good one or a nightmare. I'll be there, I promise."

Kish's voice got gentler as he tells Ichigo, "Go back, okay? Finish the war and live a full life, happily. Please do that, for me at least. I don't want you to be miserable any longer."

"We just want what's best for you," Taruto tells Pudding when he pulls away to look at his face one last time.

"Alright?" Pai asks, Lettuce doing the same. Unwillingly, the girls nod. This is for the best.

Taruto whispers, "That's my girl." Then he kisses Pudding again and she kisses him back, tears leaking from her eyes.

"I love you, Lettuce-san," Pai whispers. She smiles a bit and they kiss.

Kish tells Ichigo, "Please save Deep Blue okay?" Ichigo is surprise to hear him ask that of her. "He went through what we did but the real thing. You know the truth so purify his heart. Don't kill him, okay?" Their noses are touching and Ichigo can taste his breath in his mouth. So badly, she wishes that is not the end.

But she tells him, "I'll do it. Not just for her memory but for yours as well. I love you so much. Please remember that."

He leans closer and answers, "I'll never forget that because I love you too damn much." Then he kisses her one last time and she kisses him back as a final goodbye. A tear rolls down her face and falls to the ground.

_Drip_

A bright white light engulfs them all and Deep Blue looks over his shoulder to see the bright white light shine from the darkness. Completely out of breath, Mint and Zakuro look up and are just as surprise to see the light. It got bigger and bigger and then it looks like the light is coming for them.

All Deep Blue can say as he stares at the light, "Impossible…"


	36. The Final Purification

**A/N: Kuro: Hello, everyone. Kuro speaking because Tsukiko is ranting.**

**Tsukiko: That stupid little computer note!! First it says that it's having some small problems and then it says to come back in a few minutes! It's been like that for days!!**

**Kuro: as you can see, she was done with chapter 35 of this story before and she was even done with the author's note but the website didn't let anyone login so that they could update, Tsukiko included. Anyway…Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and pleas keep them coming. We despertly need them. Thank you and please enjoy.**

**Tsukiko: Not to mention that I have other things to do and I wasn't able to do them because I was all hang up on why I couldn't update anything!!! And…**

_To save the future, you need to tell the truth in what happens in the past. But what if the past is too shocking to believe?_

Ch. 36: The Final Purification

When Ryou was very, very close to tears and he's on his knees, five lights appear above him and Keiichiro. They both look up to see five bright white cylinders appearing out of nowhere. First, it was only a small speck but then it got bigger and bigger until they all became hand size. Before they could say anything, the souls glided down to the Mew Mews bodies and they enter the bodies. Soon after they entered, the Mew Mews started to open their eyes.

"Those were their souls! Their souls came back!" Ryou breathes out, not believing what had just happened.

Keiichiro calls with a waking Zakuro in his arms, "Zakuro-san! Are you hurt?"

Weakly like she just woke up from a peaceful sleep, her peaceful sapphire eyes look up at him as she asks, "Why are you here, Keiichiro-san?" All he does for now is smile at her and move some strands of hair to the size. He's too much of a gentleman.

Ryou instantly goes to Mint and helps her sit up. He asks, "Are you okay?"

Mint feels like she's having a migraine as she answers, "I feel okay, but I feel like I haven't woken up in twelve hour." When Ichigo was able to come back to her sense and she was halfway up anyway, she saw Ryou going to Mint's side. Well that's the least he can do since she spend every minute waiting by his side, hoping that he would get up when he was half dead.

Ryou tells her, "Well you were soulless for a few minutes, we believe."

'_We've been at the borderland for what felt like hours and we've only been soulless for a few minutes? Oh god…'_ Ichigo thinks, holding her head in pain like she's the one with a migraine. Lettuce and Pudding get up feeling the same thing.

Mint looks down at herself and asks, "Why am I human?"

"Right before your souls returned, you all returned back into your human forms. We thought that you all died." Hearing that, Zakuro, Lettuce, and Pudding look down at themselves and they are human again.

'**Thank goodness you're all awake!'**Ichigo hears. That's the same voice who warned her about Deep Blue's release.

Ichigo asks, _'Who are you?'_

'**Angela.'**Ichigo's eyes grow wide from that. She tells her, **'Please! You have to tell him the truth, both the Blue Knight and Ryou!'**

'_The Blue Knight?'_

'**Ask Ryou and Keiichiro-san. They know.'**

Ichigo was going to fallow to fallow Angela's instructions but something distracts her and the others. Ichigo looks forward and she sees a black mist portal appear and Deep Blue steps out of it. His legs are so weak that when he touched the ground, he immediately collapses to his knees. He starts huffing from exhaustion breathing in from his nose and out through his mouth. Looks like the fight and the light really took it out of him and since he had to come back to the living, he must be close to fainting. But he holds strong as he looks up to see the Mew Mews and the royal angels.

After a bit, he smiles and says, "Well if it isn't the prince of heaven and his faithful servant. Tell me, how is your mother and father? Are they doing well?"

Ryou got angry. He puts Mint down and stands up. He tells him, "They will be when you're dead!" Ryou summons a sword and that causes Ichigo instantly to get up.

Deep Blue smirks and stands up straighter, ready to fight. Ryou was going to charge but Ichigo sticks her hand out and faces Ryou. She's defending Deep Blue. Everyone stares at her surprise and shock. Even Deep Blue lost his smirk and stares at her in a curious way.

Before they could say anything, Ichigo asks, "Ryou! Keiichiro! Answer me this one thing before you go running off! The Blue Knight." Ryou, Keiichiro, and Deep Blue gasp at that. "Do you two know of the Blue Knight?"

Ryou lowers his sword as he answers, "He was a great warrior in heaven." The mew mews look at them in curiosity as Keiichiro gets up and helps Zakuro get up.

Keiichiro explains, "They say that a long time ago before the war, the Blue Knight was a great warrior that was deeply in love with the queen." Deep Blue's mouth closes and he looks away, almost sad. "The Blue Knight challenges the king in a duel to win the queen's hand in marriage. But their love for each other was so strong that the king defeated the Blue Knight and marries the queen. The Blue Knight was never seen again."

"So that was the bullshit that they've been telling their children," Deep Blue mumbles. He looks back at them with cold hard eyes as they stare at him in surprise.

Finally understanding, Ichigo puts her arm down and says, "Kish told me that Deep Blue went through the same thing they did but the real thing." She turns to look at the hell lord and asks, "You weren't just in love with Angela, you two were lovers, right Blue Knight?" Ryou and Keiichiro gasp at that and quickly look at Deep Blue.

Deep Blue chuckles and says, "The Blue Knight died a long time ago, angel. Him and his love for that lying angel. Since you know my story so well, why don't you tell them? It seems that I still hate lies."

That was surprising to hear from the lord of hell, the ruler of hate, betrayal, anger, misery, sadness, death, and lies. Saying that he hates one of the things he rules is quiet shocking but Ichigo is the only one who's calm as she explains what happened many, many years ago.

"Before Ryou was born, the Blue Knight and Angela were lovers and it seemed that their love for each other was deep and eternal. Even though it was against the rules, the king, Robert was jealous because he too was deeply in love with Angela so he challenges the Blue Knight to a duel for her hand in marriage. Because he could not deny a challenge, the Blue Knight accepts. Then the Blue Knight lost the battle and also fallowing the terms of the challenge, Angela accepts Robert's hand and marries him. One night, the Blue Knight tries to run away with her but she says no. He pleaded her and begged her to come with him and even becomes humans so that they can live together, but she had a duty to marry Robert so she refuses him. Soon Angela learns to fall in love with Robert and has a child while the Blue Knight's heart that was torn and smashed by the very woman he loved. It became clouded with darkness and turns black. He was never seen again but when he came back to heaven, he had the entire army forces turned into agents and attacks the heaven kingdom as Deep Blue, ruler of Hell. Some angels that were not in the army and were faithful to the king fought against the agents and some died trying. Angela was the one who was able to purify all of them and after they were purified, they were reborn on earth as humans. Then Robert fights the Blue Knight who then calls himself 'Deep Blue' and lost. He dies as Angela then uses every bit of energy that she had to destroy Deep Blue's body and seals his soul in the darkness forever. Angela died at the spot."

"And she damn well deserved it," Deep Blue tells them. They look at him as he adds, "And that damn king of yours deserved it as well."

'**But that's not the whole truth! Please Ichigo! You have to tell them, everything!'**

Unaware that she spoke to Angela with her voice, she says, "But I don't know. I don't know if they can handle it."

Mint asks, "Ichigo, who are you talking to?"

She doesn't answer because she hears, **'Please, Ichigo! You are my voice. You're the only one who can tell them the whole truth.'**

Ichigo lowers her head and says, "It's amazing to me that an angel stayed in heaven with a tainted mind." Now everyone's confused.

But Deep Blue has gotten enough of this history lesson. "It doesn't matter now." They look up at him and he's literally glowing blue with black electricity sparkling out every now and then. His hair rises up from the energy as his clothes softly flaps. "Nothing can change the past. What's done is done." He raises a hand and a huge black portal appears. What came out of it are what looks like hundreds of kirema animas with fangs sharper than any knives and claws deadly. The angels didn't have time to transform. They had to get out of the way.

Some kirema animas head towards the angels individually and the angels try to get out of the way as much as possible. Mint, Ryou, Keiichiro, and Zakuro separated so that they won't be easy meals for the demons. Ichigo is kind of having an easier time dodging, better than the others. Because of her cat abilities, she dodges them by jumping high in the air and for sensing danger when they tried to attack from behind. Since Ryou has his sword, he was purifying the demons with a simple swing of his sword while the others are dodging. But unlike Ichigo, he didn't sense danger from behind. A kirema anima gets him behind and by the time he notice the demon, it already has a good slash at his back. He didn't let out a cry as he falls to his knees and tries to deal with the pain as best as he can, his blood dripping from the side and smelling his blood is making Deep Blue very tempting to bite him. He hasn't had real blood in a while now.

Mint sees him on his knees and gets extremely worried. The same demon goes over to hit him again as Mint runs to his side. "Ryou!" she screams, reaching for him. Then her whole body glows blue like a star. Deep Blue covers his eyes from the light as Ryou stares at her in surprise. The Mew Mews got a few glimpses at the light but are too busy by the kirema attacking them.

She runs in front of Ryou to protect him as the demon is coming at them faster with fangs at the ready. She goes to her pocket and takes out her blotch. "Mew Mew Mint METAMORPHOSIS!!!" Her bright light from the transformation stops the demon and it dissolves in the light. The angels got another chance to look and they see the light fading and Mint is in her full angel form; her white dress and everything. She takes a step forward and says, "No one will touch him, you hear me?! I will protect Ryou, even if I have to die in the process!!"

Since Keiichiro is being distracted, a demon comes at him and tries to eat him but Zakuro takes out her blotch and yells, "Mew Mew Zakuro METAMORPHOSIS!!!" The demon dissolves from her bright purple light and now she's standing right in front of Keiichiro in her full angel form. "Just try and kill us."

Almost being inspired by their warrior spirit, Lettuce quickly goes to her pocket and takes out her blotch. "Pai-sensei and his family helped us return to our bodies. I'm not about to let their efforts be for not! Mew Mew Lettuce METAMORPHOSIS!!!" Her body glows green and she's back in her mermaid outfit but with the pants and legs instead of a fish tail.

Pudding takes out her blotch and cries, "Mew Mew Pudding METAMORPHOSIS!!!" She transforms into her full angel form with her Chinese silk rob and she proclaims, "Taru-Taru promises me to see me in my dreams and I'm not going to die here and let him break his promise!!"

The voice in Ichigo's head tells her, **'Your friends need you. Just say the words and you can transform too!'**

Ichigo asks, "Really? I can be an angel again?"

'**Just believe in yourself and the one you love most. It will work.'**

Believing her, Ichigo decides to give it a try. "Mew Mew Strawberry METAMORPHOSIS!!" After so long, a bright pink light shines from Ichigo's body and she can feel the familiar warm, comforting feeling of becoming an angel again. But somehow, the transformation is different than the ones she remembered having. It felt more powerful and the feeling feels more pure. Her friends saw the light and stare at it in surprise as in her light alone, nearly half of the demons are purified because her light is so big.

When half of the kirema animas are gone, the light fades away and Ichigo is in a new outfit now. But unlike the interesting ones that her friends have, hers look a little plain. All she has is a white sleeveless summer dress that fits her body perfectly and it's only two inches above her knees long. Her hair is down and looks more beautiful and radiant than ever! On her back are her white wings that are three times bigger than how they were before. Her halo is bright and she has no shoes at all. Her body is giving off a soft pink glow and she's hovering above the ground. When the Mew Mews look closely at her new look, there is one thing on her that is interesting. On her neck is a five point star gold necklace on a gold chain. From the point to the middle in the shape of diamonds are five color jewels that make the star; blue, purple, green, orange, and black. Also on her neck is her red ribbon collar with the beautiful golden bell. Besides the necklace and her collar, her outfit looks simple but she still looks so beautiful.

Ichigo opens her eyes and they meet Deep Blue. She smiles and says, "I promise Kish that I will save you and that is what I intend to do it. For your sins, I will purify thee –nya!"

Deep Blue raises his arm again and charges up another black blast. "Annoying." Then he launches it and it heading for her at full speed.

Mint, who is kneeling down to Ryou's level so that she could heal his wounds, stands up and calls, "Ichigo! Get out of the way!" But Ichigo just smiles.

When it look like the blast hit her, her body wasn't there like an illusion. Deep Blue is surprise to see that but is shocked when Ichigo is suddenly right in front of him. Her smile isn't on her face as she asks him, "You still love Angela, don't you?" He flinches back, his eyes giving away that he still is. Some of the angels stop fighting the demons with element attacks, Lettuce is using water and Pudding is using earth, for a bit so that they can watch. They are a bit surprise to see Deep Blue's expression as Ichigo explains, "If you didn't love her, you would've been trying to just kill us instead of having the guys go down to hell with you. No matter how much it hurts, you still love her because love is a very hard thing to try and kill."

He takes more steps back as he tells her, "Stay away from me!"

Ichigo looks down at her necklace and says, "I believe I know a song. Let's see, opera and rock." Her fingers press the blue and the black jewel as if they're buttons and her whole body glows white. Because Deep Blue is so close, he had to cover his eyes from it. The angels are surprise as they can see that the demons are starting to cry in pain from the light. Then after the light, there is music. First it sounds like violins but then it starts using drums and guitars.

When the light was gone, Ichigo has a new outfit. Her wings and her halo are still the same but now her body is glowing white. On her legs are black tights and blue ballet dancing slippers. Her outfit is a medieval style tutu that's dark blue and has black ribbons. Her star is on the center of her outfit collar and she still has her red ribbon collar on her neck. What is interesting about her new outfit is that she has long big sleeves that are not connected to the dress. They are both apart by four inches of the arm and on her back is a big black bow about waist size, similar to her work outfit bow. For the final touch, her hair is up in her regular pig tails and they have black ribbons holding it up.

Ichigo touches her star gently so she doesn't press anything as she whispers, "Thank you, Kish. I'll keep my promise." Then she looks up at Deep Blue and offers her hand to him. He drops his arms to look at her and gasps at her look. She's giving him a gentle angel smile as she asks, "Do you want to do with me, Deep Blue? It's hard to dance this song by myself." Being captivated by her beauty, he accepts her hand. All the other angels can do now is watch as Ichigo is dancing ballet with the lord of hell. Since her touch doesn't bother either of them, it was okay to dance. Then it was time for them to sing. Deep Blue sings first _(his solos are __**bold**__.)_

_Beauty and the Beast__ by Nightwish_

_**Remember the first dance we shared?  
Recall the night you melted my ugliness away?  
The night you left with a kiss so kind  
Only a scent of beauty left behind**_

Then it was time for Ichigo to sing. But as she's singing, she sounds like she's singing opera.

_Ah, dear friend I remember the night  
The moon and the dreams we shared  
Your trembling paw in my hand  
Dreaming of that northern land  
Touching me with a kiss of a beast_

_**I know my dreams are made of you  
Of you and only for you  
Your ocean pulls me under  
Your voice tears me asunder  
Love me before the last petal falls**_

_As a world without a glance  
Of the ocean´s fair expanse  
Such the world would be  
If no love did flow in thee  
But as my heart is occupied  
Your love to me now has to die  
Forgive me, I need more than you can offer me_

_**Didn´t you read the tale  
Where happily ever after was to kiss a frog?  
Don´t you know this tale  
In which all I ever wanted  
I´ll never have  
For who could ever learn to love a beast?**_

Then there is a long intro of music for a bit and they both just continue to dance. The way that both of them are dancing, almost looks like two lovers are dancing. But it looks like Deep Blue is desperately trying to have Ichigo stay with him, but she keeps refusing him. He looks like he's pleading for her stay but Ichigo looks like she's pleading for Deep Blue to let go of her and leave. Then Ichigo finally breaks away from Deep Blue and starts dancing on her own a few feet away from him. She faces him and starts singing again

_However cold the wind and rain  
I´ll be there to ease up your pain  
However cruel the mirrors of sin  
Remember, beauty is found within_

._**...Forever shall the wolf in me  
desire the sheep in you...**_

That was the last of the lyrics but the song still continues. Even though they should be worried about the demons that are still trying to kill them, the angels couldn't help but look at the scene in surprise. The lyrics almost made sense of what Deep Blue is feeling. Maybe he figured that Angela believes that their love for each there didn't matter anymore because he couldn't be the strong, powerful warrior that deserves to have her. Maybe she did think like that at first but when she lost to Deep Blue, she abandons his heart.

When the song finally ends, Ichigo was in Deep Blue's hold again but walks away like she's drifting away from him. He stays where he stands and reaches for her as her hand is drifts away from him. At first, she was looking at him as she was leaving but then at the last minute she turns around and looks at him. When she looks back at him, he gasps and widen his eyes as if he's just woken up from a trance. He blinks a couple of times and looks at the ground. When he looks back at her, his eyes are deadly. He raises a hand and mumbles, "Die, wench" Then he unleashes a fast blue blast.

Lettuce finishes purifying her last demon as she yells, "Ichigo! Get out of there!" Apparently, Ichigo was still in a trance from the song. She gasps in surprise like she just woke up as the blast hits her. She goes flying back. Both Pudding and Zakuro stop fighting when they saw her get hurt.

Pudding calls, "Ichigo onee-chan!" As she's flying back, her body glows and her clothes go back to her simple white dress. Ryou gets up and uses his wings to get to her faster. Right before she hits the ground, he catches her. Mint breathes out a sigh in relief and goes back to purifying the last of the demons. Being distracted enough, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro go back to helping Mint.

Ryou asks, "Ichigo! Are you okay?"

Ichigo looks up at him and nods. "Just tired a bit. That was the first time in a while I did something like that." Ryou puts her down and he leans a little close to Ryou he whispers in his ear, "I'm going to distract Deep Blue as much as I can. While he's distracted, I need the others to surround him. I need them to use the 'Mew Power Extension.'" Ichigo pulls away from Ryou and he nods.

Ichigo prepares herself and turns to Deep Blue. Ryou runs back to the others to tell them Ichigo plan as she yells, "There's more to the story, Deep Blue!" Deep Blue raises a brow in curiosity. Ryou is curious too but he helps Mint defeat a demon and then whispers in her ear Ichigo's plan. She nods and goes over to help her friends to tell them. Ryou goes back to the scene as Ichigo adds, "Angela was threaten to give up her love for you or Robert was going to kill you!" Keiichiro hears that too and the message went pretty fast. Everyone looks at Ichigo in surprise.

But Mint asks, "How do you know that Ichigo?!"

Ichigo lets out a sigh in guilt and answers, "What happened before he was born was Ryou's nightmare. I didn't tell some of you but when I was still unable to become an angel again, I gained the power to see and steal memories or dreams. I saw Pai's and Tauto's memories through Lettuce and Pudding and without meaning too, I stole Ryou's nightmare when he was still unconscious. I didn't understood it until now and that's why I didn't tell you." Ichigo looks back at Deep Blue and says, "The missing blanks Angela told me." Deep Blue takes a step back in what looks like a blank surprise.

Keiichiro asks, "What did she say?"

Ichigo still looks at Deep Blue and answers, "Robert offered himself to Angela before the challenge but she rejects him, telling him that there is someone else that she's deeply in love with. Then Robert challenges the Blue Knight to a challenge for her hand in marriage but Angela became cautious about this. She kept telling him not to do it but you used to tell her that a true warrior never backs down a challenge. Then Angela sees Robert putting something in the Blue Knights drink right before the battle and she finds out that it's numbing poison. Don't you remember how she pleaded you to take a drink, saying that she put her love in it so that you could win? But you told her that seeing her is all he needs to win." Deep Blue gasps at that as the memory of how she pleaded and pleaded him to take her drink. Ichigo explains, "That was the antidote so that you could fight with him fair and square. The poison causes you to lose and fallowing the rules, Angela accepts Robert's hand. Then days later, you send her a note saying that for you two to be together, you would both run away to earth and live as humans forever. She was so happy to go that she starts packing but Robert saw her and knows about you meeting her so that you could runaway. He told her that if she leaves and doesn't marry him then he was going to kill you. When it was time for you to meet her, he told her that she has to refuse you. Not willingly, she goes to meet you and rejects you; no matter how many times you plead her to go with him or how many times you told her that you love her. When she went back to Robert, she was crying and slaps him. Then he woke up from his selfish episode and saw how much pain he caused the woman he loves."

Ichigo looks down at the ground and asks, "Keiichiro, do you remember what Ryou was mumbling when he was still unconscious?" Keiichiro couldn't say anything. He was too shock by what Ichigo was telling everyone, the truth of what happened.

Mint instead says, "Didn't he say things like 'Light in the darkness, darkness in the light,' 'Love becomes hate, hate becomes love,' 'Angels become humans, agents become humans,' and 'Good becomes evil, evil becomes good?'"

Ichigo nods and says, "Those were clues on what happened in the past and clues on how to save the ones we love! 'Love becomes hate, hate becomes love.' Your love for Angela turned to hate soon after she 'betrays' you to save you. Then Angela's hate for Robert becomes love because he was so good to her after that. 'Good becomes evil, evil becomes good.' You were good but turned evil because of your darken heart while Robert becomes good after seeing Angela's tears. 'Angels become humans, agents become humans.' Angels are supposed to love with all of their hearts as agents are supposed to hate with all of their souls. I became a human after my heart was darkened by the things Kisshu did to me and the agents were able to turn back into humans because their souls were filled with love instead of hate! Finally, 'Light in the darkness, darkness in the light.' That was a clue to help us find them when we were at the borderland."

There was a moment of silence for a bit. Deep Blue, finally able to tear his eyes away from Ichigo, looks down at the ground and tightens his fists. He asks, "What's the use of telling me this now? What's done is done. Don't you realize that yet? It's too late to tell me such useless things now."

"It's never too late, Deep Blue because there are two more things you need to know." Deep Blue looks at her again and she tells him, "That day when you were sealed to hell, yes you got your revenge by killing the man who stole your love away and Angela was there. She saw you kill her husband and yes she was there to stop you, but not just because she cares for him. She did it because she didn't want to see the monster that you've become. When she saw you kill Robert, she was heartbroken to see that the man she would always love is no longer there. So using her powers, she seals you away because she couldn't bear the thought of killing you. She dies that day and leaves your son to be taken care of by Keiichiro." The last part became shocking enough to just turn everyone to stone. Hearing the silence and seeing their reaction, Ichigo answers the unspoken question. "There was another life that Robert threatened to kill unless she left you, the life of her unborn child. When she married Robert, she was pregnant with your child. She was going to replace your blood with Robert's so that it could be his child, but she wanted your child more than anything. Even though it could've killed her after her son was born and before Robert was going to see him, she uses every bit of magic to make him look like his son. She survived after being bedridden for weeks but she's guilty for having your son that does even look like her. He looks like the man she didn't want to marry." Ichigo turns to Ryou and says, "Ryou, Deep Blue is your father." She turns to Deep Blue again and says, "And this is your son, Ryou."

Ryou looks at Deep Blue and Deep Blue does the same. Their eyes are the size of entrée plates and all they both are doing is just staring at each other. Deep Blue takes one step forward and asks, "My…son…She had…my kid?"

Ryou asks, "He's…my dad? I still have family?"

Ichigo looks at her friends and they saw her gaze on them. She nods and they nod back. They fly towards Deep Blue and start to surround him. Deep Blue gets out of his trance and looks around to see that he's surrounded by angels. They summon their weapons and raise them up in the air. They all chant, "Mew Power Extension!!" Their weapons glow white and just like with Kish, white chains shot out of the ground and grabs his wrists. The cross appears behind him and pulls him up with it.

Ryou tries to yell, "Hold on!"

But Ichigo places her hands on her star and chants, "Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!!" The pink light stops Ryou from running up to the cross and it makes Deep Blue look away before his eyes start to burn like his wrists are now. After the light, Ryou and Keiichiro look at Ichigo in surprise. Deep Blue looks up as well and is deeply shock.

Instead of Ichigo, there is a different person. A woman with long beautiful golden hair like the sun's rays that just reaches her butt with skin as white and soft as clouds. Her eyes are a beautiful shade of lake blue and she has rosy cheeks and soft lips that are curl up into a soft gentle smile. She has on a strapless baggy white shirt that is long enough to touch her skirt. Her skirt is white and long but it has two long slits up to her thighs, about four inches below her waist where her skirt is hanging. On her back is pure white angel wings two times bigger than what Ichigo's wings were and she has a bright halo hovering over her head.

Ryou couldn't help but ask, "M…Mother?"

Keiichiro whispers, "No, it's Ichigo's body possessed by Angela's soul. Her attack is having her body be possess by a soul and then looking the person. The only ones who can see that form are ones who desperately want to see that person. Like you and Deep Blue. I think this is the finishing touch to the 'Mew Power Extension.'" Keiichiro was able to give that example because all she sees is an illusion of Angela and Ichigo as if Ichigo is in her body and is moving and doing the same things she is. Ryou looks back at Angela and starts to see the same thing Keiichiro does. He gasps again in shock.

Angela doesn't look at her son as if the only one she can see is Deep Blue. Her rosy red lips move so that she could talk and she says, in a voice that even sounds like her, "Blue Knight, my love." His eyes soften, feeling like this is the real thing. Angela is right in front of him again.

He couldn't help but mumble, "Angela, my dearest." Her eyes brighten up as her wings straighten out. She flaps them and goes flying over the Mew Mew fortress and to Deep Blue. The Mew Mews see the same thing Keiichiro and Ryou see and gets a little worried. This is the second time Ichigo is going this close to someone dangerous who was just caught by the cross.

Angela lands right in front of him and then hugs him. She smiles and tells him, "I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry that I did such terrible things to you but I couldn't bear the thought of Robert killing you and I wanted our child so badly. I'm sorry. Oh, Blue Knight, I love you. I really do. I always have and always do." His eyes widen again. Everything that Ichigo told everyone was true. The warm feeling that he hasn't felt for thousands of years returns back to his chest and he can feel his heart pounding after so long. He closes his eyes and relaxes in her hold. So badly, he wants to hold her but be can't because of these chains. Now, they don't hurt so bad. In fact, they're just holding him back now.

Deep Blue whispers in her ear, "I missed you too. I forgive you."

She pulls away to look at his face and asks, "Really?"

He smiles at her and nods. "I love you, Angela. I haven't forgotten you for a single day." She smiles and tears of happiness start to pile up in her eyes.

Angela closes her eyes and leans towards him. Her red lips kiss his cold ones and he kisses her back. That kiss then suddenly unleashes a big white light coming from the both of them. The other angels had to cover their eyes with their hands to block out the light. The cross dissolves and Deep Blue was free to hold her and pull her closer. One hand is behind her head and it's lost in her soft golden hair. Then on his back, two white angels wings, the same size as hers, appears on his back and his big elf ears disappear into human ones. His hair comes together and gets tied back in a low ponytail by a white hair band. His clothes change from dark blue to white and the buttons on his rob from the bottom to his waist unbutton to reveal shorts and white boots. _(For his looks, just imagine the Blue Knight for the serious but with dark blue hair and a white outfit because that is what he looks like.)_ Her arms circle around his neck and her fingers get tangle in his still black hair. When the light started to fade away, their kiss broke.

Deep Blue, or the Blue Knight smiles in sad yet sweet way and says, "Goodbye, Angela." His hands slide off her and her hands does the same. They're just holding hands now.

She tries to smile at him too and says, "Goodbye, my love." She closes her eyes and she releases Ichigo's body. Ichigo, from loss of energy starts to collapse but the Blue Knight catches her.

"Whoo, there," he lets out, catching her. Ryou and Keiichiro run up to the Mew Mews and they are all staring up with hope.

Ichigo opens her eyes and looks up at the Blue Knight. He asks, "Too much for you?"

She lets out a chuckle and says, "You have no idea."

He smiles sweetly at her and kisses her forehead. "Thank you."

She turns red from his charm and starts shuttering. "Aw..N-No problem."

He looks down at their hands and says, "Takes these." She looks down and when he releases her hands, there are three souls.

She breathes out, "Are these…?" He just nods. Ichigo turns towards her friends and calls, "Lettuce! Pudding!"

They run to her after seeing the souls in her hands. They look down and stare. They look the same so they can't tell who's who. Lettuce goes first. She gulps and asks, "Pai-senpai?" One soul rises up and she reaches for it. She holds it in her hands and pulls it back to stare at it in wonder. Pudding decides to go next.

"Taru-Taru?!"

One soul just sprints from Ichigo's hands and goes to Pudding. She catches it and stare at it the same way Lettuce and Ichigo are looking at theirs. But Ichigo couldn't help but call, "Dren-kun?" The soul rises up from her hands to her face and makes it looks like the soul just kissed her. She starts tearing and holds the soul, carefully but lovingly. "Dren-kun!" Lettuce holds the soul close to her, feeling like she can feel his arms around her as she smiles and starts crying in happiness. Pudding just gives the soul a small kiss before holding it close to her heart.

Pudding looks up at the Blue Knight and says, "Thank you, na no da!"

He smiles, telling her, "You're welcome." Mint lets out a sigh and both her and Zakuro smile at their friends' happiness.

Ichigo looks up at them and rushes over to them. She shows them the soul and says, "Guys, it's Kisshu or Kish or Dren-kun…He has three names. I don't know which one to call him."

Mint tells her, "I'm used to 'Kisshu' so I'll call him that." She turns her attention to the soul and smiles. "I'm sorry for making Ichigo hate you at first for saying that I love you. That mess was my fault. I'm sorry and it turned out to be that it was just a small crush, anyway." The soul flouts up to Mint and gently touching her cheek, like he just kiss her there. Ichigo just smiles that everything is all good now, but then Mint decides to play a small prank. "What's that? You want to get me back? Well I don't know." The soul jolts a bit from that as Ichigo grabs the soul and pulls him.

Ichigo tells Mint, "Nice try, Mint! Don't get cocky with the kiss! He just did that to show that he forgives you, not love you!"

Mint tells her, "Sorry, Ichigo. It can't be helped that I'm more attractive than you."

Ichigo starts flaming up. "Why you little…" The soul looks like it's shaking while the others are now just laughing. Looks like things are back to normal; more or less.

Ryou calls, "Hey!" The Blue Knight looks up and sees Ryou. He just looks as Ryou asks, "So…you're my father?"

The Blue Knight smiles a bit in embarrassment and says, "Yes, and I understand that this might take some time to get used to. But-"

"Sure as heck it is!" Keiichiro just looks at him as the Blue Knight and the other angels look at him in surprise and blink from that response. Then he starts rambling. "It's going to take some time on letting go of the feelings I've been holding for you for the past couple of thousand of years, then I got to tell everyone in heaven that the Blue Knight is alive and he was really Deep Blue, then I got to make them accept you back into heaven, then I got to get used to on your demands, how much of a parent you are, and I have to announce you king of heaven. Darn, that enough is heck on earth and I hate to think of anything else that I'm going to have to do that I forgot."

As he looks like he's trying to think, the other angels think, _'Having the job of being prince on heaven must not be an easy task.'_

"Yep, life as a prince of heaven is not an easy task," Ryou mumbles. The angels are surprise for him to say that as Ichigo is freaking out. It's just like what happened when she met him. "But," Ryou starts. He looks at his father and smiles, "I think I can deal with it."

After blinking a few times, the Blue Knight smiles and asks, "How old are you again?"

Ryou answers, "Six thousand years old." All but Keiichiro, the Blue Knight, and Ichigo had their mouths dropped to the ground. That's right, Ichigo was the only angel that knows his age. The other two that weren't surprise thought of six thousand as sixteen in humans years or maybe younger or older.

The Blue Knight walks towards Ryou and then holds him. Ryou is so shock from this that he doesn't move. Some of the girls were watching as if they're watching a love movie as Zakuro and Keiichiro just watch, just glad that now the Blue Knight is holding his son. He pulls away and says, "Sorry but Angela got to hug you before and I never did. I am your father after all."

Ryou pats his shoulder and tells him, "It was your first time so I'm not going to hold it against you but never again please."

"I guess, I can deal with that. It's normal for a teenager to be like that."

Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding let out a sigh in a dreamy way at the father and son moment while the souls, Zakuro, and Keiichiro have a sweat drop from that.

Then Zakuro asks, "Now what?" Everyone looks at her as she explains, "Not to blame on you, but nearly half of Tokyo's citizens are dead, Kisshu, Pai and Taruto don't have bodies to live in, and Tokyo is turning into a ghost town." She did say 'not to put blame on you' but that was a little too straight ford.

The Blue Knight didn't mind one bit. "Well I can do something to fix that." The girls look at him, a little hopeful as he adds, "But I need to go back for a bit." Now they're confused, but Keiichiro and Ryou know exactly what he means.

Keiichiro says, "Blue Knight-sama! That is impossible to do! It takes up too much holly energy and we don't know if you'll be alright by then."

He tells him, "Holly energy has been lying dormant inside of me for thousands of years and thanks to Ichigo-san who allowed me to see Angela again, I have ten times as much holly energy than before." Ichigo couldn't help but blush as some of the glory goes to her but she's still confused on what he means. Then he says, "Don't worry though. The angels here will remember everything. But when they wake up, it will be the day before the infusion happened." Now they are no longer confuse as the Blue Knight summons his sword. He tells Ryou and Keiichiro, "You two better stand back."

Before he could stab the ground, Ichigo asks, "Wait! If things change, will we ever see each other again?"

The Blue Knight smiles and assures her, "It's your decision to see them again or not. You're getting a second chance now." Then he stabs the ground and kneels down, still grasping it. Then he sounds like he's mumbling something in an old language. His body starts to glow white and his hair and clothes rise a bit from the energy. Then his sword starts glowing and it got bigger and bigger until it starts to engulf everything. That bright light was the last thing that any of them saw.


	37. Future Changed for the Better

**A/N: Hi, everyone!! This is the last chapter of 'Heaven and Hell' and after this one is the next chapter for 'The Truth is Speaking to You, Ichigo.' I'm sorry that this chapter is so long but I promised you all that this is the last chapter so I was trying to fit everything into one place. I guess it was too much so please don't hurt me.**

**Kuro: But since this is the last chapter, how about we toast for that this story is finally over and now the next stories can start! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews that you have given us until now. Tsukiko does NOT own TMM or the songs she uses in her stories. We hope that you enjoy this chapter and tell us how you think with more reviews on this chapter. Thank you all and sorry that you have to read such long chapters for this story.**

**Tsukiko: Thank you and please enjoy!! Bye-Bye!!**

_Making choices to change the future for the better is the happily ever after, right?_

Ch. 37: Future Changed for the Better

When Ichigo woke up, it was to the smell of cooking. She opens her eyes to the smell of bacon, eggs, and best of all, fish hitting her nose like a ton of bricks. She was daze when she opens her eyes and she needs to get up. She sits up in her bed and starts stretching. Then she yawns and looks at her surroundings. The walls are a tad bit on the tan side, she's lying on a white mattress with a white pillow but with a pink comforter, and she has a white rug for floor. She gasps at the results she sees here. This isn't her room. At least not from when she was staying at the café, this is her old room! Then that means that the smell of the food cooking isn't coming from Keiichiro.

Ichigo throws the comforter off and runs out of her room and down the stairs. Even going out of her room and going down the stairs is different how she's already used to at the café. The hallway is shorter as well as the stair case. She goes down and looks to her left to a very shocking sight. Cooking in the kitchen, making all of the delicious meals is a woman in her late twenties or earlier thirties and she has short fiery red hair. The woman heard her coming and turns around from the stove, greeting, "Good morning, Ichigo! Since it's the last day before school, I'm-" She stops talking when she sees Ichigo. "Ichigo honey, what's wrong?"

Ichigo has tears leaking out of her eyes and they're rolling down her cheeks. Instantly, she runs to her mom and hugs her. She cries, "Mama! I've missed you so much!"

Her mom is starting to freak out, asking, "You missed me? What do you mean? I haven't gone anyway where." Then she calms down when she feels Ichigo tightening her hold around her waist. Ichigo starts sobbing and her mom can feel her tears leaking through her shirt. Her mom wraps her arms around her daughter and says, "Shh, shhh, it's alright. I'm here now. Tell me, did you have a bad dream?"

Hearing that, Ichigo gasps and stops sobbing. She calms down a bit and answers, "Yes. I had a dream that you and dad died and I was left all alone. Even Kisshu died." Hearing the word 'die' made her mom make that face like her life is slipping away from her now. But she calms down starts rubbing her daughter's back.

"Well I'm here now and your father is at work. We're not going to leave you, not until we know that you are going to be taken care of and I'm sure that Kisshu-kun will do the same." Ichigo gasps in surprise again.

The Blue Knight's spell really worked! Then that means that he changed the past so that she and her friends won't be infused and they don't have to fight against each other. That also means that Tokyo is back to it's old busy lively city again. That also means that…Kisshu is still alive! Him and his brothers! And he's Dren!

Ichigo looks up at her mom and asks, "What is today?"

"Today is your last day of freedom before school starts. You also said that tomorrow is your special day," her mom answers with her cheery voice.

Ichigo thinks about it for a moment and concludes, _'Just like the Blue Knight said. We will go back to the day before we are infused. He also said that the angels will remember so that means that Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto don't remember anything! If he did, I'm sure that he would call me and ask me if I'm okay or that if I even remember being a Mew Mew. This is like…I'm stating over…'_

Ichigo turns to her mom and smiles. "Tomorrow will be a special day, mama. I'm going to go change and come eat. Then I have to go out. There is something I still need to do before school starts."

Her mom nods and says, "Okay then. Breakfast is almost ready anyway."

"Oh, and mom!"

"Yes?"

Ichigo hugs her again and says, "I love you; you and daddy."

Her mom hugs her and says, "We love you too, sweetie. No go and change."

"Okay!" Ichigo cheers, letting go and going back up the stairs. As she's walking up the stairs, she wonders, _'If Kisshu doesn't remember that I know, maybe I can play a little trick. That could throw him off when I suddenly appear at his door.'_

She goes to her room and opens the window a bit. She sticks her head out and looks at the old abandon-looking house next to her. She lets out a sigh and leans her cheek gently on her palm. A gentle breeze blows and flaps her hair everywhere. She uses her free hand to lay two fingers on her lips and then blow kiss to the hold. _'Just wait a little longer, Kisshu. You'll be in for a real treat.'_

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"I'm off!" Ichigo announces, before opening the door. Fearing that Kisshu might hear her and then spoil her little surprise.

Her mom yells, "Bye! Enjoy your picnic!"

After Ichigo changes into a dark red skirt that's three inches above her knees and a light pink tank top with white and pink arm warmers on each arm, she goes down and starts eating. In her mind, she's is so happy to be able to eat her mom's cooking again. Sure Keiichiro is a good cook but nothing can compare to how good her mom can cook. It's homemade and nothing can beat homemade. After she eats, she goes back up to brush her teeth, fix her hair into her regular pig tails that are tied by red ribbons, and she grabs a basket. Her mom asks her what the basket is for and she answers that the basket is for her plans today. Her mom asks her if she needs help in the kitchen and Ichigo begs. Together, they made sandwiches, onigiri, omelets, wieners, and she packs about four bottles of healthy ice Japanese green tea. After making food, Ichigo grabs her purse and she's off with the basket in hand and her cell phone.

Ichigo goes up the sidewalk and then takes a quick peek at the windows. She does see a curious, familiar face but she pushes herself from staring. She starts running up the sidewalk to make the scene but before she knows that he has to go to another room to see where she's going. She hides behind a tree and takes out her cell phone. She looks at her contacts and finds 'Kisshu.' She dials it and waits.

In the house, Kisshu was going to go check another window to find out where Ichigo is going but his phone rings. Before he was going to ignore it, he look at the caller really quick to see that it's Ichigo calling him. Kisshu raises a brow and answers it. "Hello?"

Ichigo on the other side, tries to sound normal as she answers, "Yo, Kisshu. Can you come down for a minute?"

"Come down? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean come down the stairs and to your door. Then I would like for you to open it for a big surprise."

Kisshu blinks in surprise but then gets an evil grin on his face. He asks, "How do you know I have stairs?"

Ichigo rolls her eyes and tells him, "You know what I mean. Now go to your door and open it."

"Fine but don't be upset when you find out that you might have the wrong house. You've never been to my house."

"Yeah and you always been at my house by lucky guess. Now it's my turn to guess which house you live in. Now come down."

"Alright," he answers, still smiling like a dorky winner. He asks, "Do you still want me on the line?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay then."

Kisshu grabs his jacket and goes down the stairs. He goes past the living room and Taruto sees him from the couch. He looks up from his manga and watches as his brother asks, "Do you want me to open the door now, honey?"

"Not yet. Let me knock."

Kisshu just shakes his head in disapproval. He knows that she's not going to get it right. That was until he heard knocking from his front door.

_Knock_

_Knock_

_Knock_

Kisshu freezes in shock as Taruto raises a brow in curiosity. Getting out of his shock, Kisshu immediately opens the door and sees Ichigo with her phone at her ear and she's holding the basket. She smiles and tells him through the phone, "Looks like I guessed right." She hangs up her phone and smiles at Kisshu's dumb struck face. "Lucky guess, huh? Especially since it's right next to mine."

Then he starts mumbling. "Bu how did…when did…what…You…I…"

Taruto puts the manga down and yells, "Give it up, nii-san! She found out without you confessing." Kisshu tenses up and then slouches over in guilt with a gloomy aura. Taruto gets up and goes over to the door. Ichigo takes one look at him and is happy to see the little midget up and kicking. He greets, "Nice to meet you, Ichigo. My name is-"

"Taruto, right? You're the youngest brother of both Kisshu and Pai," she interrupts.

Taruto looks at the gloomy Kisshu and asks, "You've been talking about us, it would seem."

Kisshu comes back and says to protect himself in a nervous way, "No I haven't! All I said was that I have two brothers and she assumed that you both are gangsters."

"And you went with it," Ichigo point points out. That was like a stab in his ego right there.

Taruto asks, "Do I look like the kind of guy who would beat up people?"

Ichigo answers instead, "No, you look more like a performer kind of person." Taruto looks at her weird as she looks up at the sky. It's almost noon time. She grabs Kisshu's wrists and says, "Let's go for a picnic. Taruto, you can come with us too! Oh wait, is Pai here too?"

Kisshu is too busy staring at her hold on his wrists that he doesn't answer. Taruto answers, "No, he needed to get some work down at the hospital." Ichigo nods in understanding.

"I see. That's too bad," she says. She thinks, _'Shoots! I was going to call Lettuce to meet him there, but it might be best to wait until tomorrow to meet him. Besides if she just appears in front of him then it'll be weird. But it's a good thing I sent a text to Pudding before I left the house.'_ She looks up at Kisshu and gives him a sweet happy smile and says, "Well let's go!" Still holding his wrist, she pulls him out of the house and Taruto fallows, locking the door behind him. Kisshu is still surprise and doesn't say anything as they walk to the park. Ichigo is having a hard time keeping her laugh in. Her trick worked. It threw him off.

They walk to the park in silence and when they turn into the park, they see a performance by Pudding. The adults in a group are clapping and she's collecting tips. _'Perfect!'_ Ichigo thinks, entering. She looks at Kisshu and says, "Look, Kisshu! A performance! I wonder if she's an elementary student?"

"Well she's a beggar that's for sure," Taruto points out, noticing that she's collecting money. Ichigo has half a mind to hit his head while Kisshu just stares like he was lost a long time ago.

When Pudding woke up, she found herself at her old home and remembering that she might have gone back in time, she looks around the house and she sees her siblings in their bed sleeping and alive. Pudding couldn't help but start happily crying in the bathroom. Then she remembers that she hasn't met Taruto yet and since he didn't call then that means that he doesn't remember. Well that was her guess. After crying, she goes cooking breakfast and her siblings come running in from the smell. She instantly hugs them and kisses them, using the excuse of saying good morning. After breakfast, she gets a text message from Ichigo asking her to be at the park performing. She was going to bring Taruto and Kisshu with her. Pudding drops her siblings off at the day care and grabs her performing stuff. Then she starts performing, making some extra yen before she sees her old friend and her love.

Pudding turns around sees the three. First she sees Taruto and her eyes and her smile shines up in pure happiness. But when she sees Ichigo, Ichigo has a hand up and lowers it, making a sign to keep it low and to act like she doesn't know them. Pudding gets it and Taruto notices that she's looking at them.

Taruto tries to push the others away as he says, "She saw us! Let's get out of here before she has to make us watch some crappy show."

'_Okay, Taruto that's just mean,'_ Ichigo thinks as she's being pushed away.

Then Pudding comes up in surprise, "Hello, na no da!!" she cheers. Both Ichigo and Kisshu step back as Taruto gets wide eye from her sudden appearance.

Taruto, being upset that she suddenly appears, gets a vein pulsing on her head and yells, "Don't just pop up out of nowhere, you midget!"

Pudding doesn't take that as an insult as she tells him, "I'm taller than you, geek so you're the midget, na no da." Ichigo mouths the word, 'oh shoots' after Pudding said that.

Taruto gets three veins pulsing on his head as he tells her, "Well I have to be older than you so it's 'Mister' and don't call me a midget!"

Pudding grabs two long sticks and two plates and starts rolling them. She asks, "Do you want to see my show, na no da?"

Taruto lost his veins and replace it with a sweat drop as he says, "Nope, I don't. Can you say zero interest?" Ichigo rolls her eyes and goes to her purse to look for some coins. Kisshu is still staring at her like he can't get over that she just grabbed his wrist when they left his house; the house that he didn't tell Ichigo about for the past five years.

"Then what should I do, Taru-Taru?" Uh oh.

Taruto asks, "What's with the nickname?! Hold on! How do you know half of my name?!" Before Pudding could accidently say anything else to that, Ichigo shows her a shinny yen.

Ichigo tells her, "I'll give you two more if you will show us your show. I'm Ichigo by the way."

Pudding gladly accepts the yen and cheers, "Pudding's the name, performing is my game, na no da! Thank you, Ichigo onee-chan!" Pudding does a back flip and lands gracefully on a huge ball. She starts balancing on her hands and starts walking. Ichigo claps her hands, Kisshu just stares, and Taruto raises a brow. He wants to know where the ball came from and he's a little impressed with her trick. She's actually good. "First, I do balancing, na no da!"

Taruto starts watching her observantly as Pudding gets off the ball and grabs a few more sticks and plates. One stick with a plate on top is her forehead, two on each arm, three on her left leg, and one on her nose. "I'm balancing plates now, na no da!!" Ichigo didn't see that one before.

Pudding goes to her stuff and gets out a cylinder, a wooden plate, and a rubber ladder. She piles the wooden plate on the cylinder and then puts the rubber ladder on top. She gets on top of it and balances it on one arm. "It's wiggling, na no da!" Ichigo claps even more and Pudding looks back at Taruto. He sees that and looks the other way immediately to show his zero interest. Her face frowns a bit and her arm gets weak. She slips.

Ichigo calls, "Pudding!"

Taruto looks up and sees her falling. Then instantly, he goes to her stuff and rolls the ball right under her. When she lands on the ball, she stands on it on one leg and he passes her a Japanese umbrella and a smaller ball. Pudding catches that and starts rotating the ball on the umbrella. She looks at Taruto surprise as Ichigo and Kisshu look at him in curiosity.

He blinks in surprise and asks, "What was I just doing?"

Pudding cheers, "That was great, na no da! I didn't know you're a performer, na no da!"

Taruto steps back and shakes his hands in front of him as he says, "I'm not a performer! I just passed you the items before you fell to your death, dummy!"

Pudding jumps off her ball and stops the rotating. She quickly goes to Taruto and grabs his hands. He turns a little red from it but she says, "We should do an act together, na no da!"

"Uh?!!"

Ichigo thinks, _'Wow, Pudding. Talk about hitting the punch line right on the mark.'_ She goes to her purse and takes triple the amount she gave her before. She gives it to Pudding and says, "That was an amazing performance! Especially when Taruto helped you. That was wonderful!"

Pudding eyes beam as she asks, "Really?!"

"Really!"

"Now hold on!" Taruto yells. "I didn't sign up for this! It was just a reaction!"

Pudding grabs his hands again and says, "Come with me, Taru-Taru!"

"Stop it with the nickname!"

"Let's go practice together and become the greatest performers in the world!"

"Wait, I said!"

But it was too late. Pudding grabs her stuff and Taruto and goes running off. Ichigo looks up at Kisshu and asks, "He knows how to get home right?" Kisshu looks at her and nods. She puts her hands on her hips and asks, "You haven't said a word since your house. What? Since I know where you live, you're going to avoid me?" He starts freaking out again.

"No, it's not that! How could you even think that! I'm just shock that you found out?! How did you find out? I was sure that you didn't fallow me home!" he tells her.

"Okay," and just like that, she let it go. Kisshu is now completely confuse and completely shock. She smiles at him and says, "Come on. Let's go eat."

She grabs his hand again and pulls him to their bench. Kisshu turns a little red from the touch of her soft hand grabbing his as he fallows her. He still couldn't even grasp her hand back because he's still in shock. She lets him sit down and puts the basket in between them. She passes him an onigiri and he takes it but doesn't eat it. He just stares at it, freaking out in his head as Ichigo takes a sandwich and eats it.

She says, "This is mega good!"

Kisshu is wondering, _'What the hell is going on?! She's never this good to me and she never smiled at me this much in one day. Since I came back, she hasn't ever smiled at me like this before. This must be a last day of summer trick! That has to be it!'_ Kisshu looks up at Ichigo, ready to say something but he couldn't. He just keeps staring at her. She catches notices of his stare and looks up at him from her second sandwich.

She asks, "What's wrong?"

Then he finally asks, "Ichigo, why are you doing this? You never smile in front of me like this before and you don't just grab my wrist for no good reason."

Ichigo lets out a huff and looks away. She says, "I just thought that since it's the last day of school, we should at least make the best of it. Besides, I have an important day tomorrow. Since you're a stalker, you should know."

Kisshu talks nervously as he asks, "Me? A stalker? Honey, you must be dreaming." He looks the other way and shows his anger there. _'She plans to confess to that bastard Aoyama! I have to get there an hour early so I can knock some sense into him before she gets there!'_

Ichigo can actually see the anger from his back and couldn't help but smile at that. Ichigo puts some of the food away and says, "Kisshu, finish that so that we can go to our next destination."

Kisshu looks at her, all anger gone and asks, "Our next destination? Where?"

"You'll see."

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"No, Taru-Taru! You need to pass me the cannon and my helmet next, na no da! The fire breathing is the last trick, na no da," Pudding scolds as Taruto was ready to pass her a match and the bottle of oil. He looks like he's really dreading this.

He yells, "First off, the cannon trick is way too dangerous and second, I didn't ask for this! You just dragged me to the other side of the park so that you could tell me what items to give to you next! And stop with that 'na no da' thing. It's annoying."

"What I choose to say is my decision, Taru-Taru," she tells him.

"And stop it with the nickname."

"Whatever, Taru-Taru." He gets more annoyed from that. "Now let's start again, na no da."

"No! I've been passing you item after item for the past half an hour! You are a total stranger! I should be calling the authorities and charge you with kidnapping." The word 'authorities' struck a nerve.

She goes up to him and cringes to his shirt. She leans on his chest a bit as she tells him in a pleading way, "Please don't call them, na no da! They'll take my siblings away from me, na no da!"

He doesn't push her back because he's too caught up in something else. "Wait, wait, wait! Take your siblings away?"

Sadly, she nods and lowers her head. "Pudding and siblings are orphans." Taruto's eyes widen at that as she explains, "Mama died after giving birth to my little sister and papa was massacred in China two years later. They both left Pudding and her family alone for five years." She looks up at Taruto with tears starting to leak out and says, "When Taru-Taru saved Pudding during her act, she knew right then and there that Taru-Taru is the missing key to her act!"

He's turning red from her tears as he asks, "Hold on! You've been supporting your siblings and yourself for five years, by yourself?"

She nods and adds, "Pudding doesn't want her siblings to be sad that they don't have a mama or a papa. She wants them to live with her in the family home happily, so please don't tell them! They'll take them away from Pudding and they'll all be sad! Please don't tell, Taru-Taru."

His eyes stare down at her as he thinks, _'This little girl is strong enough to raise a family and she's been performing to get money so that she can still live with her family. I understand that but…'_ His eyes relaxed and he thinks about it for a little longer.

He raises his hands up to admit defeat as he agrees, "Alright, alright! I'll do it!"

Pudding looks up at him and then smiles in joy. She wipes away her soon to be tears and tells him, "Hooray, na no da! As payment, Pudding will give you half of -"

"No! I don't want payment!" he tells her. She stares at him surprise as he continues. "I have a sibling who has a job and is supporting the three of us. You are the only one who is supporting your family so you need all the yen you earned for your tricks. Which by the way I have to admit, you are pretty good."

Her eyes light up as she asks, "You like my show?!"

He tells her, "It's okay, but if you spend less time trying to get things ready, you'll be rolling in more money. That's where I come in, right?" He even flashes her a smile to show her that he is seriously going to go through with this.

Her smiles brightens even more as she hugs him and says, "Thank you, Taru-Taru!"

"Whoo!" he lets out since the hug was sudden and he nearly fell backwards. He looks down at her and hugs her back. "No problem, Pudding-san."

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"Excuse me, but does Pai Takokujin-sensei work on this floor?" Lettuce asks the lady at the front desk on floor five.

The lady answers, "Yes. Do you have an appointment with him?"

Lettuce's cheeks turn pinkish as she answers, "No. I just want to deliver this to him."

The lady smiles and asks, "Then how about I give this to him for you?"

Lettuce pulls her basket of cookies closer to her and shakes her head. "No, I'll just be a minute."

The lady tells her, "Well I'm not sure where he is though."

"That's okay. I won't be long." Then with that, Lettuce starts looking around the hospital floor. It would seem that Lettuce doesn't need Ichigo to call her up and tell her that Pai is working at the hospital.

When Lettuce woke up, she was deeply shock to find herself at her house. She looks outside and she can see life in Tokyo that it used to have before the massive killing. Before she knew it, she starts crying on her bed and her mom and her little brother comes in wondering what's wrong. Her only response was that her tears. After calming down, Lettuce uses the same excuse Ichigo used; she had a bad dream of the earth about to die. That caused both of them to ask if she was reading a bad book before she went to bed. The only book she thought of was _Frankenstein_. During breakfast, Lettuce was in a daze. She remembers the Blue Knight saying that they will remember and she knows that Pai has her number. Since she hasn't heard from him, it must mean that the formal agents don't remember. After breakfast, Lettuce asks her mom if she could bake something and then go out. Her mom asked where and she answers the hospital.

Now Lettuce is at the Tokyo Hospital with a basket of perfectly brown cookies, the shape of stars, circles, and diamonds. Her mom suggest hearts but Lettuce thinks it would be embarrassing to have heart shape cookies for someone who doesn't even remember her; no matter how much she loves him.

Fifteen minutes later, Lettuce has been circling around the floor about ten times. When Lettuce reaches the front desk the eleventh time, she lets out a sigh and puts the basket on the desk. She says, "I haven't found him so he must be at lunch. Can you give this to Pai-sensei when he comes back?"

Right when the lady was going to say something, Pai turns towards the desk after looking at a file and hearing his name being called and he asks, "Excuse me, but do you need something?" Hearing his voice, Lettuce looks up at him with the color of dark red roses coloring her face. Now realizing that she loves him, she's looking at him in a new light. He's always been handsome but now, to her he just looks so damn gorgeous. Hearing his beautiful voice and seeing him again after all of the drama she's been through, her heat started fluttering and pounding harder than Japanese Tiko drums. Pai's brows rise up a bit as he asks, "You look familiar. Do I know you, miss?"

That was when Lettuce completely turns red from hearing that. Even though she gathered enough courage to come to the hospital, she's still nervous and self conscious. She bows and quickly says, "Accept these, Pai-sensei! See you tomorrow!!" Then she runs out of there and straight for the stairs. She didn't bother pressing the button for the elevator and wait. Both the lady and Pai watch her go as she leaves dust from running so fast.

Pai asks the lady, "Nuriko, who is that?"

She answers, "Don't know but do you want to pass up this? She seems to be the shy type and it must have taken a lot of courage to come here." She passes him the basket and he accepts it after thinking about it.

He tells her, "I don't even know her." He removes the cloth off the top and sees the cookies and a little folded note.

Nuriko goes back to her desk and says, "Well she seems to know you. Maybe she has an appointment with you."

He still stares at the cookies and the notes as he says, "Not possible. I'll be working at Okurmura High School."

As he picks up the note and one star shape cookie to get a better look as Nuriko says, "That's right. You're only here for the summer job. You've been working here for so long that I've gotten used to you. You work like a real doctor here."

He says, "Thank you for the compliment." Then he starts walking away to go to his locker and during his way there, he takes a bite of the cookie. It's really good and he's surprise by how delicious it is. Then he opens the note and what it says stops him dead in his tracks.

The note says, _'You're not alone anymore. There is no reason for you to be sad any longer.'_

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"Are you freakin kidding me?!!" Kisshu asks, his legs shaking and his hands gripping onto the rail for dear life.

Ichigo skates to the middle of the ring and turns around to him. She calls out, "Come on, Kisshu! It's not that hard!" She looks around and says, "Actually, I'm surprise that no one else is here."

Kisshu yells, "Probably because it's still summer and they're at someplace safe instead of this death ring you dragged me to!"

Ichigo turns to him and says, "Could be."

'_I knew this was a trick! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!'_ Kisshu thinks, still holding onto the rail.

Seeing that he really does need help, Ichigo skates to him and grabs both of his hands off the rail. As red he could be from the warmth of her hands, he had other problems. When she pulled his hands off, he starts slipping. "Whoo, now Kisshu!" Ichigo lets go, starting to trip with him. "Calm down! Calm down! Just calm down and stand up straight." Still unsure about this, Kisshu stops trying to save himself and stands up straight. His legs are still shaking but for now that's okay. Ichigo says, "Good boy. Now take one step and push. It's real simple."

Kisshu slightly glares at her and says, "Yeah to you maybe."

"Just trust me on this, okay? Now try this. When you push stand on one leg for three seconds. Don't worry, I'm here so don't start panicking."

"If I die, I'm blaming you in the afterlife." Ichigo chuckles as he turns a little red from her laugh. He looks down and tries to take a step with his right foot. After the step, he uses his lef leg to push. Ichigo takes a step back with his left and pushes with that same leg.

"That's good. Now hold for three seconds. One, two, three. Next leg!" He does as he's instructed and steps with his leg as his right pushes. Ichigo's leg this time switches. "One, two, three. Next!" He switches and she switches. She smiles at him and says, "See, told you. This is fun!"

He looks at her, surprise and a bit red, "Fun?" Being distracted, he messes up and starts to fall, but Ichigo catches him and he clings onto her for dear life.

"Calm down, Kisshu! Calm down," she tells him. His legs are shaking again as he cringes to her; his arms wrapped around her neck and his body close. It's Ichigo's turn to turn red but she says, "Skating takes a lot of concentration so try to focus, okay?" She looks up at him and he looks down at her face. Because he's cringing to her, their faces are actually really close. If either of them moves an inch closer, then their noses will be touching but if they move about two more inches, then something else would be touching.

They are both lost in each other eyes and suddenly, everything around them just doesn't matter anymore. The only thing that does is that they are together in this long ice ring. Just staring into their eyes and being so close is starting to make their hearts flutter away into heaven itself. They know they want to but they don't know if the other wants to or is ready for it? Not denying the feeling any longer, Kisshu leans closer to her face; a bit hesitant since he knows her, the old her. Getting the message and for tasting his breath in her mouth, she closes her eyes and waits. Then she feels Kisshu's lips pressed against hers. Her hands go under his arms and grab his shoulders from behind to push him closer to her. His arms still wrap around her, tightens a bit to keep her close and they deepen the kiss. As deeper as they both want to go, they weren't sure if the other is ready so they part when they ran out of air. Ichigo's eyes look glossy as she stares deep into Kisshu's eyes. He looks like he's in a trance as one hand goes to her face and his thumb gently brushes against her cheek.

Then her eyes look down and she confesses, "There's another reason how I knew that you lived in that house, Kisshu. It's because I know who you are. I figured it out." He slightly gasps at that as his eyes get out of his daze and they widen a bit in surprise. She quickly tells him, "I don't blame you for not telling me right after I slapped you that day. You were hurt weren't you, that day? I blame myself for not recognizing you but what was I going to think when I saw that your eyes are a different color. Now, they look like your father's eye color. Congratulations, Dren-kun. You got your wish."

He lets out a sigh and puts on a half smile. He kisses her cheek and then tells her, "I know but now I wish that I could get my old eye color back. You liked that color, koneko-chan."

"Doesn't matter anymore," she tells him, smiling at him. "Because I love you no matter what your eye color or how many personalities you put on. Kisshu or Dren-kun; it doesn't matter because I love them both."

He leans closer so that his nose line is touching hers as he says, "Good." Then he kisses her again and she instantly kisses him back.

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"Mom? Dad? Are you two home?" Ichigo asks, peaking her head to the living room.

Her father answers, "Just got home, Ichigo!" As happy as she can be to hear also her father's voice again, she has something else to take care of first. She sees her mom making lunch for her and her husband and she sees her dad sitting down at the table, reading the newspaper. Must have forgotten to read it earlier today.

Ichigo goes into the living room and says, "Can I tell you two something?"

Her mom looks up from the food and her father lowers the newspaper to look at their daughter. Ichigo claps her hands together and announces, "Dren-kun's back! He came home!"

Her father drops the paper as her mom asks, "Really?!"

Ichigo nods and smiles, "He's here right now to see you both!"

Her mom puts down the food and turns off the cooking stuff so that they won't burn as her father folds the paper and puts it down on the table. They get up and walk pass their daughter to see Dren by the door, but they see Kisshu instead. He waves and greets, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Momomiya."

Mr. Momomiya got angry fast. He yells, "What the hell are you doing here?!" Kisshu freaks out from the sudden anger as Ichigo runs pass her father and in front of Kisshu.

"Father, stop that! You're scaring him!" she yells, protecting the scared Kisshu from her father's rage.

He asks, "What is he doing here?! I thought you said that Dren is here!"

Ichigo yells, "He is and you're yelling at him!" The dad losses his anger and her mom gasp as Ichigo hugs Kisshu and he hugs her back. She's still looking at her family as she says, "Kisshu Takokujin is Dren Takashiro." Both of her parents blink in surprise by that.

After that little shock, they started from the door to the couches. Ichigo and Kisshu sitting on one across from the one Ichigo's father is sitting on. He's look at Kisshu intensively and Ichigo is getting annoyed. Kisshu is just getting nervous. It would see that some of his Dren traits is kicking in now. Mrs. Momomiya comes back to them with a tray of four hot cups of tea. She places them on the table between the two couches and sits next to her husband.

Right when she was going to say something, Mr. Momomiya ask, "You seriously believe that I would be willing to believe that this gangster is Dren?"

Ichigo and Kisshu answer, "Yes."

Mrs. Momomiya says in her husband's place, "I believe that your father would like some proof of this. I believe this since now I see the likeness from the Dren I last saw eight years ago to Kisshu-kun here."

Kisshu lets out a sigh and says, "For Valentine's day when you were out with Ichigo, Mr. Momomiya promised that he would cook dinner for the three of you and I would help but instead he goes out to get take outs and puts them in the refrigerator and waits until you two come home. He made me promise not to tell and in return, he would never complain about me coming over to play with Ichigo." Everyone looks at him surprise, even Ichigo is shocked to hear that.

Both Mrs. Momomiya and Ichigo get flaming angry and looks at their husband/father in rage. They asked, "You fed us take outs for Valentine's Day?!" Ichigo instantly calms down when she remembers something else about that day.

She hugs Kisshu and says, "At least you did something nice that day."

Kisshu giggles in embarrassment as he says, "I don't think climbing a cherry blossom tree to get you a branch was very safe but it was worth it when I saw you smile that day." Ichigo giggles and that brought attention back to Mr. and Mrs. Momomiya.

Mrs. Momomiya gasps and breathes out, "Oh god…You _are_ Dren-kun!"

Both Ichigo and Kisshu wonder, _'I thought she said that she believes that he is/I am Dren?'_

Then she hugs Kisshu and cries out, "Welcome home, kiddo!"

Kisshu hugs her back and says, "Thanks, Mrs. Momomiya. You know when I came back five years ago, I had to admit that I thought Ichigo had an older sister that she didn't tell me about when I saw you." Mrs. Momomiya places a hand on her cheek and flaps her hand in front in embarrassment.

"Dren-kun, please!" she squeals.

"No really, I mean it!"

"Also," Ichigo interrupts. Her parents look at her as she grasps Kisshu's hand and says, "We'll be dating from now on and we plan on getting married when we're older." The word 'dating' and 'married' just blew Mr. Momomiya's head right off while Mrs. Momomiya is looking at the cute couple with sparkles and lovey-dovey stuff.

Then Mr. Momomiya yells, "Absolutely not! The Dren from eight years ago was shy but a good kid and I approved of that since he respected you, but now he's a violent gangster that can easily get you into drugs and violence!"

"Dear!" Mrs. Momomiya calls, getting out of her lovey-dovey trance.

"But daddy, he's not a gangster. He never was and never will be, right?" Ichigo asks, looking up at Kisshu.

He nods and says, "No thank you, I got enough of that from Hiroshima."

Mrs. Momomiya asks after her husband calmed down a bit, "Hiroshima? You were all the way over there?"

He answers, "Not really. I was sent to an adoption home and was adopted by drinkers from Osaka. I will never know why they wanted a kid in the first place, but I stayed with them for about two years; dealing with the millions of gallons of alcohol and their beatings. I ran away to get back to Tokyo but I took the wrong direction by going from Osaka to Hiroshima. I was attacked by gangsters there and it would seem that no matter where I'm going, I'm going to get beaten. So to survive, I fought back. Doing that made them leave me alone and I got food in my stomach. Half a year later, I was mobbed by two gangs who joined forces just to beat me to death. I was already half dead because I haven't eaten for a week. I was left to die on the streets but my little brother, Taruto found me and took me to his apartment that he and my older brother Pai were staying for a vacation. They treated my wounds so I wouldn't die just yet before they took me to the hospital. Then they found out who I am and they decide to adopt me. They took me back to Tokyo and we've been living in my old home for the past five years."

Mrs. Momomiya says, "I knew that someone must be living in that house. I thought it was haunted because I saw movement in there."

'_Haunted?'_ Both Kisshu and Ichigo wondered.

Then Mr. Momomiya asks, "Likely story but how do you explain your eye color? Eight years ago, you had sapphire eyes."

"Eye infection," he answers. "Those guys that attacked me put oil in my eyes as torture while they beat me."

"And the hospital saved your eyes from behind completely blind, right?" Ichigo asks.

He answers, "Yep. The only difference now is my eye color."

Ichigo turns to her parents with a smile and asks, "And doesn't it look like his father's eye color now?"

Both of her parents lean forward a bit to look and Kisshu had to lean back so that it won't get awkward. Her mom says, "You're right. He had amber golden eyes if memory serves."

Her father agreed. "Indeed."

They both sat back down on the couch and Mrs. Momomiya says, "I approve of you two and I fully believe since he gave that helpful information."

Ichigo and Kisshu smile at that. Kisshu bows as they said, "Thank you!"

Mrs. Momomiya turns to her husband and asks with a dark threatening voice, "Dear?"

Both Ichigo and Kisshu look up at him and when he looks at them, they almost look like puppies wanting to be adopted. He can actually clearly see the puppy dog ears flat against their heads and the puppy tail wagging. Even their eyes look cute.

He immediately looks the other way and mumbles, "I'll approve of you dating but not the marriage part until you two are both thirty."

Mrs. Momomiya slaps him in the back of the head. "Dear!"

He grumbles, "Fine, eighteen!" That was good enough.

Ichigo hugs her father and Kisshu bows again. "Thank you!"

Mrs. Momomiya smiles at the scene and then turns to Kisshu and asks, "Why not have your family come over for dinner some time. I love to meet them."

Kisshu looks up at her and says, "Sure. Is tomorrow okay? My little brother was planning on making us dinner and if you tell him that we're going out to eat when he already has plans, he goes crazy."

She asks, "Oh, your little brother cooks?"

"And he cleans. He seems to enjoy that a lot."

"How have you three been living for the past five years? It sounds like you have no parents to help support you."

"Oh, no need to worry since my nii-san has a job."

The father grumbles, "What does he do? Drug deals?"

"Dad!"

Kisshu answers, "Similar. He's a doctor so instead of dealing, he sells the drugs to patients who need it. He's actually the youngest doctor who takes a summer job at the Tokyo Hospital while he works at schools during the school year."

"He's the school doctor, amazing! How old is he, if you don't mind me asking."

Kisshu looks up to try to remember and he answers, "He's about…seventeen, I believe." Both of Ichigo's parents just froze over from hearing that. Judging by their silence that they're shock, he tells them, "After middle school, he went straight to college and skipped more years there and got a doctors degree because he's a genius."

There silence for a good minute before they both exploded. "WHAT?!!!"

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At the dinner table at Kisshu's house, it was silent and they were barely eating. They would take a bite here and there but no one would talk or anything. All three just seem to be in a daze. Pai is red and he seems to be in a daze from that little note that Lettuce left when gave him the cookies, Taruto is red from what Pudding told him before he told her that he has to go home, and Kisshu is in a trance from what Ichigo told him before she kissed him goodnight.

What Pudding told Taruto was, _"Taru-Taru!"_

"_Must you always call me that?"_

"_Yes! It's my friendly nick name to you, na no da! It's to prove that we're friends, na no da. You can just all me 'Pudding-san', if you want na no da."_

"_Oh, okay."_

"_One more thing, na no da!"_

"_What?"_

"_You shouldn't be filled with so much anger all the time, na no da. If you notice that your brothers are happy now, then that means that there is no reason for you to hold a grudge against things that no longer make them sad, na no da. Well that's what I think, na no da! Goodnight, na no da! See you tomorrow, na no da!"_

Then with that, she went home from the park. He was so shocked by what she said that he didn't even mind the last part. If he just met her today, then who did she know that she's going to see him tomorrow? It probably means that she'll meet him at the park tomorrow but right now, he's still in shocked by her words that he came home with his head in the clouds. All he can think about is her words and her dazzling, childish smile she kept flashing at him.

Kisshu is red from after the craziness at her house. She told her parents that she's going to walk him home and the father warned they both better not do anything. Of course, her mom smacked him for that and told them to take as long as they want. They both walked back to his house holding hands. Ichigo goes in front of his door and then talks to him.

"_Sorry about my crazy family."_

"_I'm used to it besides I didn't expect less from Mr. Momomiya, especially with the way I've been behaving lately."_

"_Yeah, my dad is way overprotective."_

"_But I hope that we can be like that when we're older."_

"_Me too. Kisshu,… or Dren-kun. Which one do you prefer?"_ He laughed at that.

"_To me, it doesn't matter anymore. You can call me by my real name or by my new name. I doesn't change my feelings for you one bit."_

"_I love Dren-kun, but I also love Kisshu. I'm sure he doesn't mind if I go with Kisshu. Can I tell you something else too?"_

"_Anything."_

"_I know that you probably hate the fact that your parents died and that you and I had to be apart. I also know that you hate those adoptive parents of you for treating you like they did and you hated how your life was in Hiroshima. I understand that getting rid of all of that hate will take a while but there is something I need you to know." _She hugs him and tells him, _"I'm here for you. I'll help you get rid of that hate because I'll replace it with love."_ She goes up to him and kisses his cheek. He turns completely red and he's so shock to hear her say that. Then they start hearing her father having an episode but she ignores it. She tells him goodnight and goes back to her house; leaving him to daze off.

That was about it. All three of their heads are in the clouds while they were eating their dinner. There was just one problem. When Taruto was making dinner, his head was in the clouds so most of the stuff was over cooked and some were under cook. About an hour after they ate, one went to the bushes in the back, one went to the bathroom, and the other went to the trash. All three puked out their dinners.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was on her phone talking to both Pudding and Lettuce. "Then I told him that I knew he was and we kissed again! It was so good to kiss them again."

Pudding told her on the other line, "Lucky, na no da! I was only able to hug him but that's good enough for me, na no da. I get to see him tomorrow, so I'm happy, na no da!"

"I'm happy for you both," Lettuce told them on the other line. They know that voice.

Ichigo asks, "Lettuce, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing! I'm just happy for you guys!"

"Lettuce onee-chan told me that she made cookies for him and as soon as she saw him, she was so nervous that she left the basket on the desk for him, na no da," Pudding told Ichigo.

"Pudding-san!!"

"Aw, that's so cute!" Ichigo squealed. "You have a lot of courage to make cookies for him and to go to him when he was working. I'm proud of you, Lettuce!"

"Ah…Th-Th-Thank you, I-Ichigo-san." Both of her friends can literally see her blushing right now about what Ichigo just said.

Then Pudding brought up, "Has anyone heard from Mint onee-chan or Zakuro onee-chan, na no da?" That made them both quiet and tried to think about what else they did.

Lettuce answered first, "I didn't get a call from them and I didn't memorized their number."

"Me neither," Ichigo tells them, "All I memorized were yours. Those two should've called us by now."

"Maybe they don't remember, na no da."

"Not possible. Blue Knight said that the angels will remember. Maybe like what happened to us, something happened but it's taking them longer. Mint is head over heels for Ryou and I think the relationship between Keiichiro and Zakuro is getting somewhere."

"But," Lettuce starts, "what if they don't remember because they weren't in love with the agents. We remembered and we all are in love with them."

Ichigo admits, "Well I guess when you put it like that, all three of us were certain that we got love in return. Not one of them was told that they are also loved by the guys they like." Things were silent after that.

Finally Pudding lets out a sigh and says, "I have to get my siblings to bed, na no da. I'll talk to you guys later, na no da."

"Same here," Lettuce tells them. "I have to go to bed for school."

"Okay," Ichigo tells them. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, na no da."

Then with that, all three hung up. Now that they got the boys back in their lives again, they're happy about that. But now all three are a little upset about their friends. Do they remember and forgot to call them? Or did they forget everything that happened between them all?

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"Hey, Masaya! Why were you late?!"

Both Kisshu and Ichigo heard that. They were just about to turn at a corner when they heard those jocks talking. Ichigo looked and she saw Masaya and his pals. Kisshu grabbed Ichigo's hands and told her, "Let's go, koneko-chan."

"Hold on a moment!" she whispered to him. "What are those jerks talking about?" Now he's surprise to hear that. The conversation continues.

"Well that girl Ichigo was supposed to meet me at the park this morning but she never showed up. I waited a whole hour for her but she never came. I should've told her 'no' about meeting her if she was going to make me late on the first day of school. Now it will look good on my record."

"Yeah, but at least you only got a warning."

'_A warning?!'_ Ichigo yells in her thoughts. _'When Kisshu and I were late, we had to do community service and we had to join a dance. That is so unfair you principle's pet!'_

"Well you know what, I saw her coming to school with the gangster and they looked pretty chubby together," one of the boys told him. Masaya raised a brow from hearing that.

"Oh really?" he asks.

The other one told him, "Yeah. They were talking, laughing, and they were even holding hands for a short moment in time."

"So that's why she ditched me? For a loser like that gangster?" When Masaya asked that, Ichigo is fuming and Kisshu remembers that all too well.

He places his hand on her shoulder and told her, "Calm down. I may not care but you'll get chew up if you get caught fighting."

So badly Ichigo wanted to say, _"Yeah I know! I'll get suspended like last time!_" But she doesn't say it because she got suspended when she was an angel and in the middle of the school year. Kisshu would just be confused.

One of the friends said, "That violent punk is a pain in the ass if you ask me! Right before Ichigo was going to confess to me one time, I was threatened to go to hell if I told her yes and dated her. Not to sound like a coward, I said yes. I just didn't want him to ruin this perfect face I have." Both Kisshu and Ichigo were ready to barf from that.

Masaya says, "What I want to know is why would Ichigo finally say yes to that guy? He was after her for years from what I could remember."

"He wasn't just after her," his friends corrected, "He was deeply in love with that witch." If Kisshu could get cat ears, his ears would be popping up now.

"Sounds like to me that she really changed over the summer. Maybe he slipped in some drugs into her and she then enjoyed the gangster life. A lot of things could happen during the summer."

Masaya rubs the back of his head and says, "Well I guess now I feel bad for both of them."

His friends asked, "Why?"

"Because Ichigo is going out with a weak, stupid son of a bitch like him and he's going out now with a selfish, whiny, stupid wench like her." Okay, they both snapped.

Kisshu was the first to go up to them. He grabs Masaya by the collar and pounds him to the lockers. Masaya's friends are scattered away from since they know his reputation and they certainly don't want to get messed up with him. But as they stood back, Ichigo tapped both of their shoulders. They turned around and she did a black flip. Her feet hit both of them in the chin and they both go flying. Her hit was hard as she stood up straight, flaming and angry as all hell. Like Kisshu is any different now.

He asks, "What did you say?"

Masaya is absolutely terrified as he asks, "Wh-What?"

Ichigo looks at him and yells, "You heard him, you fuckin asshole! If I heard correctly, you called him weak and stupid and a son of a bitch."

"And you called her a selfish, whiny, stupid wench. When it's obvious you just described yourself, dumbass!" Kisshu yells. He drops Masaya and he takes a few steps back to get away from the angry couple. He straightens his shirt and next thing he gets is two punches in the face. He goes flying about twenty feet from where he stood and both Kisshu and Ichigo stand up. "I hear that one more time or anything badmouthing her, I'll hunt you down and send you straight to the emergency room, personally!"

"You badmouth him again and I'll make sure that you die in that emergency room! And don't expect me to back off on that because I'm not afraid to get suspended or expelled like you weaklings!" After she says that, she spits at him and walks away. Kisshu does the same and they both are still fuming that they can kill something. But those guys are not worth it.

But when they came up the corner, guess who was there and heard everything; Mr. Takaharu. Both of them didn't look surprise or angry to see him. He looks down at them and asks, "Oh really? Come with me." They're angry expressions still didn't change. He started walking to his office and they fallowed. Kisshu has his arms crossed in front of him as Ichigo has her hands in fists on her side.

About half an hour later, Ichigo, Kisshu, Pai, and Mr. Momomiya are in Mr. Takaharu's office and Ichigo's father is having a tantrum as Pai is just quiet and calm.

"Expel the boy immediately!! Obviously he's the reason why my daughter got in a fight!" he screams.

Pai leans towards Kisshu and asks, "This is her father?"

He tells him, "Just wait till he starts looking like the devil."

"I thought he already did."

"Not yet."

Both Kisshu and Ichigo are still too angry to really care that they're in the principal's office and their guardians are here. Mr. Takaharu tried to reason with Mr. Momomiya. "Please, calm down. I'm sure that either of them didn't mean it."

"Sure as hell didn't mean it," they both mumbled. Unfortunately, all three adults heard that but Pai is the only one who wasn't surprised by it. He looks like he's already seen this all before and he's tired of having to go through the same processor all the time.

Mr. Momomiya still continues to yell and scream. "Even that! My daughter used to never swear! I should've never let them date!"

Pai asks like a lawyer defending his client, "And how long have they've been dating?"

"A day," he answers.

Pai tells him, "One day of dating seems highly unreasonable for the change in your daughter's behavior."

"Not to mention, I used to swear all the time," Ichigo tells him, acting like she's bored of all of this, "I just didn't do it in front of you."

Kisshu mumbles, shaking his head, "You should've heard her."

"You shut up, you wise ass punk!!" Mr. Momomiya yells, fire starting to escape his mouth now. All Mr. Takaharu does is raising a brow in surprise of now the parent swearing. All four of them are now acting like he's not there. Especially when Ichigo responds to her father's comment.

She stands up to face her father and yells, "Don't call him that, dad! It wasn't his fault that this happened! I was the one who stayed and hide to listen in on those jocks' conversation! All those morons are is stupid, weak, cunning, jocks that just mess with the hearts of the school girls here!" That was when Kisshu lost his anger.

He grabs her hand and tells her, "Calm down, Ichigo. I don't want you to get in anymore trouble."

Mr. Momomiya screams, "Get your hands off her!"

Ichigo tells him, "No!" Then she grabs Kisshu's hand and tells her father, "Those jocks were the ones that started it in the first place! They backstab at every chance they get when they think that people are not looking! They called Kisshu a weak, stupid son of a bitch!" Now they're surprise she said that.

Mr. Momomiya still tried to blame things on Kisshu as he yells, "But that's him! You have no right to stand up for this gangster!"

'_For the last time, I'm/he's not a gangster,'_ both Pai and Kisshu thought, getting tired of hearing that as well.

Ichigo's voice goes dead and she also reminds, "They called me a selfish, whiney, stupid wench." Mr. Momomiya goes real silent for a couple of minutes.

Then he starts yelling at Mr. Takaharu, going, "I demand that you expel those jocks immediately!"

'_Figures that will work,'_ Ichigo, Kisshu, and Pai thought watching him become the devil in front of Mr. Takaharu's desk like a lawyer and the judge.

Finally being part of the conversation, Mr. Takaharu says, "Mr. Momomiya and Ms. Momomiya please calm down and sit down." They did as they were told, hoping that by some chance, the principal will do as he was asked. Kisshu still holding Ichigo's hand started to stoke it to try and calm her down. "I cannot expel them since not only are they the victims of what happened and I have no physical truth of them doing anything besides being working hard students. But from what I've seen, I won't expel or suspend these two." Both Kisshu and Ichigo got bored once again as Mr. Momomiya raises a brow; Pai still sitting there calmly. "But I can give them two community services."

'_Oh joy,'_ was all Kisshu and Ichigo could think about that.

"They both will clean the back of the school by cutting weeds, picking up the new or old leaves, and sweeping the floors. There is also a dance show coming up as well."

'_Oh hell no! Don't tell me!'_ Ichigo fears, looking at the principal.

"I need you two to be part of it and the dance open is the tango."

Then suddenly, "I can't/don't dance!!" Both Ichigo and Kisshu yelled, going up to his desk. Mr. Takaharu, Pai, and Mr. Momomiya jumped a bit from the sudden yell.

The principal calmed down and says, "Well since you two are together and you trust one another, I don't see the problem."

Ichigo tried to say, "But-But-But the last time I did the maraca, I sent five people to the emergency room!"

Mr. Momomiya mumbles, "It's true." He got a glare from his daughter and he backed away in fear. Now Pai looks bored, unsurprised that his younger brother would act like this. He is a teenager after all.

Mr. Takaharu ignored them and says, "Classes start next week after school at the studio on the third floor. The lessons are from three to five and now both of you can go back to class." Both Ichigo and Kisshu collapse on his desk in defeat. Mr. Takaharu turns towards the guardians and says, "Thank you for coming today. I'm sure that you both have a busy schedule."

Pai tells him, "You just called us in case that you have to suspend or expel these two. Thank you for going easy on my immature brother."

"Well it is the first day of school."

Then with that, Kisshu and Ichigo go back to class while their guardians go back to work. But right when Ichigo was going to step in the classroom, she almost stepped into buckets of water. She went over them before she knocked them down by doing a handstand and landing on her feet. Their teacher told them that even though the principal gave them punishment doesn't mean that he doesn't get it. He told them to stand outside holding a bucket in each hand and standing out there for ten minutes. Ichigo saw that coming.

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When Lettuce was done playing the piano, she looks up hoping to see Pai there but he wasn't. He wasn't there listening to her play or clapping that she did a good job. It was just her in that room and all she can see is an empty hallway. She looks away and gets ready to cry.

She uses her sleeve to stop her tears and says, "Don't cry. Sometimes these things don't happen twice. Just deal with it, okay? There's always tomorrow. He works at this school and I attend this school." _'But, this was where we first met and learned about each other.'_

Apparently, the meeting with the principal made Pai a bit behind in his work so he had to stare at his office longer than what happened before. Little did Lettuce know as she closes the piano and leaves the music room, still upset, Pai heard her play from his office. By the time he got there when the music stopped, Lettuce was heading for the elevator at the next corner. He saw her from the corner of his eyes and the only thing he saw was the green hair swaying in the wind when she walks.

'_That hair!'_ He remembers the color of that girl's hair from when she left the cookies and the note for him. Immediately, he rushes to the corner to try and talk to her.

When he got to the corner, the doors were closing on the elevator. He yells out, "Wait!" and Lettuce heard him. But she couldn't stop the doors. For one moment, she saw Pai and he saw her again. Her cheeks flare up for a bit as the elevator closed the doors and she was heading back down to ground level.

She has her hands on both sides of her face and turns red. She wonders, _'Could it be…that he heard me?! Shoots, I left early!'_

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

Lettuce goes to her pocket and her cell phone is ringing. Strangely how it has signal in a moving elevator. She checks the ID and it's an unknown. She answers, "Hello?"

"Lettuce, hi!" It's Mint.

Lettuce asks, "Mint-san?! You remember?!"

"How can I not? Listen! Come to the park as soon as you can! You're going to be really surprise."

"Why?" she asks, curious on Mint's call and her little enthusiasm.

"Because the Café Mew Mew is offering jobs."

"What?!"

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"Man, I hate this!" Ichigo whines leaning on the bench that both Kisshu and her are resting on for the time being. At least there was one thing that didn't change between them.

Kisshu tells her, "Can't be help. One thing with this principal is that once he makes a decision, he doesn't change it no matter what the excuses are."

Ichigo asks, "And you had experience?"

"You know it!"

Ichigo giggles and smiles as she says, "I forgot. You were acting all tough before I found out."

"It's only been a day since you found out. How can you forget things that fast?"

"I didn't completely forget about it. It's just going to take some getting used to on how the once irritating, stubborn Kisshu is actually the shy kind Dren-kun."

"I thought you told me that you love Kisshu."

"I do. Him and Dren-kun together. You're kind and stubborn at the same time." Then with that, she kisses his cheek and he turns red for one moment. _'Apparently, he still has his shyness left in him.'_

Trying to be normal again, Kisshu asks, "Well shall we go home. I forgot to tell Taruto about coming to your place for dinner tonight so I need to tell him now and deal with his yelling and screaming."

"Is it as bad as my dad's?"

"Almost."

They got up and started walking back home, staying at least one inch away from the other. But as they were walking, Ichigo notices something. She stops and looks up and then gasps. Kisshu stops and looks up to see a pink castle looking building that could be two stories high.

Kisshu asks, "You know this building?" But she doesn't answer. She goes running to the door. "Hey! Ichigo!"

Ichigo just opens the door, which was unlocked, and enters to see both Mint and Zakuro inside, drinking tea together. From the sound of the door opening, they look up to see a very shock Ichigo. Zakuro softly smiles as Mint looks like she's angry.

"Did you have to come barging in here, Ichigo? It's rude to just barge in here."

Ichigo ignores that as she goes up to the table and hugs her. "Mint!" Mint turns red from the sudden hug as Zakuro jumps from that. Ichigo hugs Mint tighter and is on the verge of tears as she says, "Thank goodness. I thought you forgotten everything!" Ichigo lets go of Mint and goes to Zakuro. She hugs her as well and says, "You too! I was so worried."

Mint gets a vein pulsing on her head as she tells her, "You could've called if you were so worried."

Ichigo lets go of Zakuro and laughs nervously. She admits, "I didn't memorize your phone numbers like how I memorized Lettuce's and Pudding's."

Zakuro asks, "They remember too?"

Ichigo gets back her energized smile as she says, "Yep and the best part is that we all got the guys back in our lives!"

Mint asks, "Uh? You mean that they don't remember."

"Thankfully, they don't. I don't think Kisshu would've like it if he knows that he killed thousands of people that are still alive now."

"I bet he would think it was a dream more than it actually happened."

"Koneko-chan!"

All three girls look up at the door and Kisshu is by the door and he asks, "Why did you run off like that? You know this building?" Then he sees both Mint and Zakuro and blinks in surprise. Didn't expect to see them and they didn't expect to see him.

"Sorry Kisshu, but these are my friends," she introduces, "This is Mint and Zakuro I met them about six years ago and I was just telling them that I'm dating right now."

Getting the act, Mint asks, "So this is your boyfriend. He's cute. Can I keep him?"

Ichigo grows, "Hell no, Mint!" She's flaming up again and Kisshu is getting a little worried.

"What's the noise in there?" All four of them look to the kitchen and both Keiichiro and Ryou came out. Ichigo is now completely surprise to see Ryou and looking like how he did before he found out Deep Blue is his father. Oh crap, then!

Ichigo shutters, fearing the worst, "Keichiro?! Ryou! Bu-Bu-Bu-But how?!" Kisshu eyes the blonde boy and for some reason, gets jealous.

Ryou smiles and greets, "Nice to see you too, Ichigo."

Keiichiro smiles and says, "Good to see that you're doing well and with a boy no less."

Ryou looks at Kisshu like he just notices him and lets out, "Oh darn! And here I thought I could sweep you off your feet." Everyone senses a sudden dangerous, electronic field that it distracted Ichigo from being embarrassed and Mint angry. Ryou was the only one who didn't care as the others look at Kisshu and he looks incredibly dark right now.

He goes up to Ichigo and grabs her wrist. He pulls her towards him and holds her. Ichigo is surprise from the sudden action as Kisshu looks at Ryou and tells him, "Well she's mine now, thank you. No need to sweep anyone off their feet."

Ichigo is shaking a bit as everyone but Ryou thinks, _'He's deadly even when he's not an agent anymore.'_

Trying to change the subject and the moon, Zakuro informs Ichigo, "Since we're all together again, we were thinking about a karaoke party in celebration."

"Karaoke party?" Ichigo asks, getting both Kisshu's and her attention.

Mint says, "Yeah, but we need Lettuce and Pudding too. Actually, I think I'll call them now." Mint goes to her pocket and takes out her cell phone is surprise about what she said about 'Pudding.'

"Pudding? The acrobat from yesterday? You know her?" Kisshu asks, remembering how his little brother got 'adducted' by her.

Ichigo defends, "I don't! They do!"

Kisshu is still suspicious as Ryou says, "And since this is a new café, I'm offering jobs. Would you like one, Ichigo?"

Kisshu pulls her closer as he says, "She's not getting a job here, especially when her boss is you."

Ichigo thinks, _'Sheesh, he's like dad who's still going through puberty.'_

Ryou adds, "Well you can have a job too. You can even offer your little brother a job too."

Kisshu raises a brow and asks, "How did you know I have a little brother?"

"You just said it." Now he's pissing Kisshu off and Ichigo can tell with the three veins pulsing on his head.

Ichigo quickly tells them, "We accept but we have dance lessons starting next week so we're going to be late." The Mew Mews didn't need Ichigo to say anymore. They understand but now they're a bit nervous because they know what dance they're going to have to do and it didn't end well. Mint hangs up her phone when she heard about the lessons. Ichigo looks up at Kisshu and smiles. "If you work with me, then you don't have to worry right? You'll be here the whole time."

Kisshu lost all of his anger when he saw her smile. He looks the other way, embarrassed by how effective her smile is and says, "I guess."

_Slams open_

All six of them turn to the door and they see a sweating, trying to breathe Pudding and a dizzy Taruto that was being dragged by her. She looks shock as she looks at who's there and the inside of the building. Kisshu is surprise to see Taruto and unconscious like that no less. Pudding smiles and cheers, "Hooray, na no da!!! You're back, na no da! You're all back, na no da!! I'm so happy, na no da!"

Taruto stands up and asks, "You know these people, Pudding-san?" after coming back to earth.

Kisshu asks, "Pudding-san? You're friendly with her now after the attitude you showed her yesterday?"

Taruto attacks, "Like you showed any attitude yesterday, nii-san."

Mint asks, "This is your brother? He's so cute!"

Ryou adds, "Yep. He looks nothing like you." Now he has four veins pulsing and Ichigo is quivering with being in the arms of someone very, very deadly right now.

Ichigo quickly greets, "Hello, Pudding! Remember me? I was the girl from yesterday." Remembering that, Pudding got the idea that she doesn't know her.

"Oh right, na no da! Ichigo onee-chan, how are you doing, na no da? Thank you for the money by the way, na no da. I was able to buy desert for my siblings yesterday, na no da!" Kisshu blinks in confusion by that as Taruto turns red in embarrassment. It would only be a matter of time before Kisshu figures it out.

"Why don't you four sit down and I'll bring you something to snack on?" Keiichiro offers.

Right when Taruto and Kisshu were going to object, both Pudding and Ichigo let out, "Yes, please/Yes, please, na no da!!"

Kisshu asks in Ichigo's ear, "Why?! You're father is going to be more upset with you if we don't go now!"

Ichigo tells him, "We won't be for long. Can't we stay for a little bit? You can think of this as a date." The last word just heated Kisshu up like a marshmallow in the microwave.

He mumbles, "I guess it wouldn't hurt." Ichigo slightly cheers from his decision as Pudding was giving Taruto the old puppy dog pow. He fell for it without even realizing it.

They sat down at their own table and both Ichigo and Kisshu acted like they're on a real date. Pudding and Taruto are having a rather awkward talk for he knew nothing about her and it was real hard to talk to him when she already knows everything about her and he doesn't even it. But they had a few small talks here and there but it was still awkward. Mint and Zakuro had to admit that they were a little disappointed with that process but are glad with the results that both Kisshu and Ichigo are having. Then…

_Boom_

Everyone, including Keiichiro and Ryou from the kitchen, look up to see Lettuce at the door and she's trying her best to get air back in her lungs. They can see the cuts and bruises on her legs and they can see the dirt smudges on her face and arms. She's practically covered in sweat as Pudding goes up to her and hugs her immediately from seeing her.

"Lettuce onee-chan!!" she cheers. Taruto looks at this interested as Lettuce hugs her back and starts crying a bit.

"Thank goodness. Everything is still here," she whispers.

Mint and Zakuro get up and walk to her and she sees them. "Mint-san? Zakuro-san? You two remember?"

Mint lets out a sigh and asks, "Why do you people keep insisting that both onee-sama and I don't remember? Jeeze…"

Lettuce ignores that as she lets go of Pudding and hugs them as well. She breathes out again, "Thank goodness." Mint and Zakuro just smile and hug her in return.

Ichigo tells Kisshu, "Hold on a moment." Before he could say anything, she goes up to the happy group and Lettuce notices her. She backs away from Mint and Zakuro to hug her but Ichigo's eyes tell her to not do it. Then she smiles and greets, "Hello! My name is Ichigo Momomiya. I am very please to meet you. I'm a friend of Mint and Zakuro." Ichigo bows after her introduction.

Lettuce is confused but bows down and greets. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ichigo-san. My name is Lettuce Midorikawa." Lettuce looks up a bit and then sees Kisshu staring at them, curiously. She got it right then and there.

"Oh, Lettuce-san. Good to see you again."

Lettuce looks up at the kitchen and she sees Ryou and Keiichiro with a cup of hot tea. Her eyes blink in surprise when she saw Ryou in a form that she's already been so used to but if the Blue Knight changed the past so that they wouldn't end up infused, then how come Ryou still looks like Robert?

Keiichiro distracts her with, "Do you want some tea. It's cool right about now. I'm sure that your thirty after you ran all the way here."

Lettuce nods and accepts the tea. "Thank you," she tells him, sipping the tea.

Mint says, "Now that we're here, mind telling them what you told us." Kisshu and Taruto just sit there, feeling like they shouldn't interfere but they heard everything.

Ryou takes a breath and tells them, "Well you guys know that my mom and my real dad had problems so what happened, finally was that he went back to her and started listening to her. Then he won her back and got married fair and square. My mother's ex-boyfriend then had to go to a shrink and got better. Then I was able to come here because I told them that I wanted to see you guys again." For one moment, Ryou looks at Kisshu and he gets startled from that. Then Ryou goes to Ichigo and picks up her hand. He tells her, "And it was all thanks to you. I am entirely grateful." Then he kisses it and that set Kisshu off.

Suddenly Kisshu is behind Ichigo again and pulls her away into his arms. He glares at Ryou and tells him, "I'm sure that she feels the same. Mind keeping your lips to yourself?"

Ryou only smiles and tells him, "Of course. I keep forgetting that she's taken."

Even though Kisshu and Taruto got the fake story, the others pretty much figured it out what he meant. Blue Knight must have went back in time before the fight and listened to Angela's plea on drinking the water that she begged him to drink. He drank the water and cured the poison in his system. Then at the fight, he defeated Robert and suggested that he went through a purification ceremony. Then Angela and the Blue Knight got married and little Ryou was on the way already. No war between heaven and hell; just peace. Then that means that no one will infuse Kisshu, Pai, or Taruto and there will be no need for the girls to be infused as well. Problem solved and worried dissolved!

Keiichiro then tells them, "We're also going to have a karaoke party in celebration of being together again. The café won't open until three days from now so we can use those days on which to have the party. How about tonight?"

Kisshu tells them, "Sorry but we got dinner planned."

"Ahh, nii-san," Taruto calls, almost sounding nervous. He goes up to them and says, "I actually have nothing planned."

"Good because we were invited to Ichigo's house for dinner," Kisshu tells him. Taruto looks appauled.

He asks, "And you were going to tell me when?!!"

"You don't have anything planned anyway!"

Keiichiro asks, "Then how about tomorrow night?"

Kisshu was going to say something else but then the girls cheer, "Yes!" Kisshu collapses on the floor, letting go of Ichigo and shuns.

Taruto goes to him and pats his shoulders, "You got beat."

Ichigo turns to Kisshu and hugs him, bringing him back to the light. "You can come too, Kisshu! You can be my date!" He perks up at the word.

Pudding goes to Taruto and hugs him, saying, "And you can be my date, Taru-Taru!"

Taruto gets really red. He yells, "D-D-D-Date?! That's going too far too fast, Pudding-san." Then she puts the puppy dog pow again.

"You don't want too?" she asks, nearly whining. Taruto is doomed until one thought goes through his mind.

"How about we go as friends?! You know, start off as friends and then go from there," he suggests, hoping that she'll buy it. Even though it's not a date, hearing him say that if they start as friends, it can lead to somewhere gave Pudding a reason to smile and hug him.

"Hoorya, na no da!"

All Lettuce does is smile at her friend's happiness. Mint nudges Lettuce's side and asks, "What about you? You have a date in mind to bring tomorrow, right?" Lettuce turns a little red from that but it fades away, remembering how they were so close but not there. Lettuce looks away from Mint to not reveal her sadness, but they saw it; they all did. The only ones that didn't were the formal agents.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Listen girl! You seem to be smart so make the smart choice," one of girl ordered Lettuce.

Just like she know what's coming, the three girls who always order her around before are now cornering her in front of the pool on the second day of school. She could've avoided it, but she was so sad about Pai that she forgot. Now she's in a pickle and she's scared out of her wits. The difference between this one and the one she knows is that she wasn't infused with the heavenly powers of heaven so she has no powers over water. She is completely defenseless.

Lettuce is shaking by the corner of the gate as those three girls are in front of her with their hands on their hips. One leans closer to her and asks, "So?"

"We'll be your friends if you do what we say and do our homework," the other one tells her.

But all Lettuce does is shake her head in no. "I'll be your friend but you two need to do your own work. It won't be fair to the other students." Her voice is small and a little shaking. They can tell but it didn't bother them. What did was the fact that she disobeyed them.

The leader grabs her collar and pulls her close to her. Lettuce is terrified now as the girls tells her, "Don't act all high and mighty just because you skipped a grade! Do you think you're better than us because of that?! Just because you're new here, doesn't mean that we'll go easy on you! Now do as we say and we'll be best friends, alright?"

Lettuce still shakes her head, saying, "No! I already have best friends so please let me go." That set the girl off. The girl gets ready to punch Lettuce and she sees that. She closes her eyes, ready for the punch but someone stops them.

"You three, stop it, now!" a stern and hard voice yells. The girls look at the entrance of the gate to see Pai there, glaring at the three girls threatening Lettuce.

'_Pai-sensei!_'

Lettuce is surprise by his sudden appearance. But then remembers that when she was close to drowning these girls, he comes in and comforts her. Maybe this will not be different.

One of the girls ask, "Who are you, punk?"

"Pai Takokujin and your school doctor," he answers, his voice hard and very scary.

Those girls fell for that as one of them asks, "Y-Y-You're….Can't be! You're way too young!"

"If you don't believe me, then allow me to call the principal and they can tell you in his office, where you three will also be expelled for threatening a student." Those three really freaked out this time. Besides the threat, he just looks way to terrifying than his agent self, from Lettuce's point of view. Looks like he doesn't need the hellish powers to be life threatening.

The three girls drop Lettuce and ran out of there; climbing the fence to escape and not be anywhere near him. They ran like they're on a two hundred meter dash. Lettuce, on the floor, fixes her collar as both her and Pai watch them run away like mice. It was pathetic.

Pai goes to Lettuce and offers his hand to her. She looks up at him, a little red as he asks, "You alright?" His voice and his face are softer now as he looks down at her.

She nods and accepts his hand. He helps her up and she bows down to him. "Thank you for helping me."

"You're the girl from the hospital, aren't you?"

She gasps and looks up at him, surprise that he mentions that. He also reminds, "And you were in the music room yesterday. I heard you playing the piano but I didn't see you. That piece was _'Ode to Joy,'_ wasn't it?"

She nods and answers, "It was one of my favorite pieces created by Beethoven. Did you like the cookies, Takokujin-sensei?"

"They were very good, thank you," he answers. "But there is something I want to ask. Why did you do that and left that note inside?" Lettuce turns red as she remembers the note she left him. He must think that she's weird since she left that note for him and they don't know anything about each other. Well Lettuce does but he doesn't. Is that considered a stalker for knowing everything about the other without actually meeting?

She has to say something so she mumbles him, "Well…uh…" He raises a brow in confusion as she looks down at the ground and let her imagination run wild through her mouth. "I wanted to thank you for helping other people rather you didn't know them or not. I skipped a grade and ended up in high school and you looked so young yourself to be a doctor so I thought that you and I can understand one another. Those cookies were a thanks and a way to show that I want to…be your friend. That note was something to tell you because when I first saw you, you looked so sad and tormented by something. I wanted to help so I put that note in to tell you that you're not alone anymore. I'm sorry if I sound weird but-" She was interrupted.

His hand went under her chin to make her look at him and he kissed her lips. Her eyes widen in shock from that. She wasn't expecting to feel these lips for a long time, but she's too afraid to kiss him back for making him think that she really is a stalker. After a moment, he pulls away quickly, surprise that he actually did that. He's also red.

He tells her, "Sorry. I didn't mean to…It's just…" He can't seem to finish any of his sentences but he doesn't need to.

In Lettuce's heart, she thinks that maybe by some chance they're still connected. She touches her lips, still having his taste on her lips and she smiles a bit. She does turn red from the kiss, but she looks up at him and tells him, "It's okay, Takokujin-sensei." He looks at her, surprised. He expected her to probably run away and think that he's some kind of pervert or something. But instead, she just smiles at him and tells him, "I know that was weird but how about we be friends. We seem to have thinks in common but we can get to know each other as friends. Is that okay, Pai-sensei?" He stares at he for a good minute as his blush fades away a bit.

Then he nods and says, "Alright." She smiles at his decision and he lightly smiles at her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_A neverending dream a dream of you I believe I received a sign of you  
tonight I want to hide my feelings too  
as you do and I want to be with you_

When Pudding finishes her song, she smiles and gives everyone a peace sign. Everyone applauses and Pudding bows.

It's finally the karaoke party and it seems that everyone is having a blast. Ichigo and Kisshu are enjoying themselves and when Pai came home that day, Taruto told him that they're going to a party and he's welcome to come. Then they told him about how Ichigo found out about Kisshu and how Taruto met a strange but fun girl named Pudding. Kisshu even teases Taruto about that and he got hit in the head for that, by Pai. When he got there, he sees Lettuce and that was awkward. She was trying to say that she wanted to invite him but she thought it would be too weird to suddenly do something together when they just met. Pai forgave her after she looked like she was going to hyperventilate by apologizing. Kisshu and Taruto ask him if he knows her and he says that she goes to the school he's working at. They both started to tease him that he's hitting on a student. They both got hit in the head for that. While Lettuce is as red as a cherry, both Ichigo and Pudding just shook their head in disappointment. Ichigo even mumbles that even though Kisshu is Dren, it's going to take some time before he breaks the habit of teasing.

Pudding gives Mint the microphone and then goes to Taruto to hug him. "Tau-Taru!" she cheers. He turns red as she asks him, "How was it? Was I good?" How is he going to answer that in front of so many people and they're staring at them.

He looks the other way and says, "It was okay, I guess." She accepts that for now, hoping that soon he'll open up more.

Mint asks, "Okay, who's next?" That got an idea lightening up over Taruto's head.

He says, "How about we let Kisshu have a try?"

"Taruto," Kisshu calls. When he looks at him, Kisshu looks really, really, really scary with the dark aura and everything. "What the hell makes you think that I can sing?"

While Taruto is practically scared out his mind that he's as white as a ghost, Mint suggests, "How about that Ichigo sings with you. You two can do a duet." Now both of them are red.

They both said, "No way! We can't sing."

Pai asks, "Like how you two can't dance?" That shot them dead in the head. But Mint ignores that as Zakuro looks through the book for a song.

Mint gives them both a microphone and tells them, "Everyone has to sing so you two might as well get it over with it." She pushes them up in the front and both Ichigo and Kisshu are just thinking one thing now.

'_We're doomed.'_

Zakuro finds a song and asks Mint, "How about this one?"

Mint looks at the tile and the artist and tells her, "I don't know this song. Is it any good?"

"I don't know," Zakuro tells her. "But it comes with a music sheet incase. Seems like it needs a piano." Mint blinks and then smirks.

Mint takes the music sheet and gives Lettuce the music sheet. "Can you play this for them? It needs a piano."

Lettuce turns red and asks, "Me?"

"Hold on!" both Kisshu and Ichigo yell. They ask, "What song is it?"

"_Happy Ending_ by Mika. You know this one?" Mint asks.

They both mumble, "Unfortunately, yes."

"Good. Now you both can sing it."

Mint pushes Lettuce to the piano and Lettuce looks at the music and then at her friends in the front. _'I'm sorry, Ichigo-san. I'm sorry, Kisshu-san.'_

Pai looks over Lettuce's shoulder and then whispers in her ear, "I'm sure you'll do fine."

Lettuce turns red from that but nods and says, "Thank you." She sets herself ready with the piano as both Ichigo and Kisshu start freaking out.

"What do we do now? We're doomed!" Kisshu mumbles to her.

She tells him, "Well I'll take the backup parts and you can take the main ones. It is a guy singing the song."

He tells her, "What makes you think that I can sing that high?!"

Ichigo pats his shoulder and tells him, "I'm sure you'll be fine, Kisshu. I believe in you."

He just mumbles, "Traitor."

When Lettuce was ready, she looks up at the two and asks, "Ready?"

They both let out a sigh and nods. Might as well get it over with, but this is embarrassing. Then she starts playing and Ichigo _(italic and __**bold**__)_ sings first. Kisshu _(italic)_ comes up later as Ichigo starts to sing.

_Happy Ending__ by Mika_

_**This is the way you left me,  
I'm not pretending.  
No hope, no love, no glory,  
No Happy Ending.  
**__  
_When it was Kisshu's turn, he was a little red but his voice is good.

_Wake up in the morning, stumble on my life  
Can't get no love without sacrifice  
If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well  
A little bit of heaven, but a little bit of hell_

This is the hardest story that I've ever told  
No hope, or love, or glory  
Happy endings gone forever more  
I feel as if I'm wastin'  
And I'm wastin' everyday

When Ichigo started to sing again, she got used to the feeling on singing and Kisshu looks at her as a form of inspiration.__

_**This is the way you left me,  
I'm not pretending.  
No hope, no love, no glory,  
No Happy Ending.  
This is the way that we love,  
Like it's forever.  
Then live the rest of our life,  
But not together.**_

Kisshu sings again and this time, he feels a little comfortable now, especially with Ichigo by his side.__

2 o'clock in the morning, something's on my mind  
Can't get no rest; keep walkin' around  
If I pretend that nothin' ever went wrong, I can get to my sleep  
I can think that we just carried on

This is the hardest story that I've ever told  
No hope, or love, or glory  
Happy endings gone forever more  
I feel as if I'm wastin'  
And I'm wastin' everyday

_**This is the way you left me,  
I'm not pretending.  
No hope, no love, no glory,  
No Happy Ending.  
This is the way that we love,  
Like it's forever.  
Then live the rest of our life,  
But not together.**_

A Little bit of love, little bit of love  
Little bit of love, little bit of love _**[repeat]**_

The audience then started to clap in rhythm of the music as Lettuce is now enjoying playing the piano for these two.__

I feel as if I'm wastin'  
And I'm wastin' everyday

Everyone even started to sing with them for a bit on the next verse.__

This is the way you left me,  
I'm not pretending.  
No hope, no love, no glory,  
No Happy Ending.  
This is the way that we love,  
Like it's forever.  
To live the rest of our life,  
But not together.

Since it was close to the end, the clapping stopped and Ichigo got the solo to herself. This time, singing with her heart.

_**This is the way you left me,  
I'm not pretending.  
No hope, no love, no glory,  
No Happy Ending.**_

Everyone claps and Taruto and Pai have got to admit. Their brother was good and when he sang with Ichigo, it was magical. Everyone claps as Kisshu looks at Ichigo and gently touches her cheek with the back of his hand. She looks up at him and smiles. Then with the microphone in one hand, her hand goes to the back of his neck and kisses him. Not caring anymore, he kisses her back and pulls her close. Pudding giggles and looks at Taruto. He notices it that and looks the other way, blushing red. Lettuce looks up at Pai and smiles at him. He could help but smile back at her. Mint looks at Ryou and he notices it. He smiles at her and she turns red from the smile. Zakuro and Keiichiro just look and smile at one another.

The difference between the song and now is that there is a happy ending.


End file.
